Fury at ‘selfish’ electric car owners dangling charging cables across the pavement

Electric car charging cables hanging out of windows and draped over sidewalks have been labeled “ridiculous” and “unsafe” by leading charities.

The National Federation of the Blind UK, Living Streets and Guide Dogs urged local authorities and electric car companies to improve charging infrastructure, which currently poses a ‘risk’ to pedestrians.

It comes after images of poorly maintained charging cables hanging out of windows and dragging down sidewalks in the UK provoked reactions on social media.

One photo shows an orange cable hanging from the window of a house in Wandsworth, London, running to a lamppost and wrapped around a 20 mph sign.

And another shows an orange charging cable running across a permit holders only sign in Wandsworth, London.

And another shows an orange charging cable running across a permit holders only sign in Wandsworth, London

The NFBUK, which campaigns for the blind and visually impaired, said it is “totally unsafe” and “ridiculous” for homeowners to run cables from their homes to charge their cars.

A spokesperson said: ‘With electric vehicle ownership growing, it is essential that the infrastructure to charge them keeps pace with sales.

“Expecting people to charge them with cables coming out of their homes as they cross sidewalks is absolutely ridiculous and unsafe.

“They can become a tripping hazard and the cables shouldn’t run over the sidewalks.”

“It is totally unsafe for homeowners to run cables from their homes to charge their cars.

“It is imperative that electric vehicle charging be done on the road and that there are no cables on any part of the sidewalk.

The NFBUK, which campaigns for the blind and visually impaired, said it is “totally unsafe” and “ridiculous” for homeowners to run cables from their homes to charge their cars.

It said cables can become “tripping hazards” and should not run on sidewalks

It added that it was “absolutely” that charging of cars would take place on the road with no “cables present” on “any part of the sidewalk”

The spokesperson added: ‘Sidewalks are for people to get from A to B on foot or with a mobility aid, not electric vehicle charging cables.

“Local authorities should work with the EV companies to ensure off-curb charging facilities are designed that do not affect the safety and accessibility of the curb for the blind, visually impaired, disabled and elderly pedestrians.

“This will ensure that people who buy such vehicles can do so with our impact on other people’s safety and accessibility.”

According to recent figures, there are 37,055 public charging points for electric vehicles in the UK.

And the number of devices has increased by 31 per cent over the past year, with 8,680 installations in the UK.

Just under half of the devices are classified as ‘destination’, meaning they are installed where a driver can stop for an ‘extended period of time’, such as a ‘parking lot’, ‘leisure’ or ‘educational area’.

But in December 2022, the AA warned that the government was falling short of demand for car charging stations as Tesla owners faced massive queues at gas stations.

According to recent figures, there are 37,055 public charging points for electric vehicles in the UK

And almost a third are installed ‘on the street’, meaning they are only on ‘residential streets’.

But Living Streets, a charity that campaigns for ‘everyday walking’, also warned of ‘trailing cables’ that can cause trouble for people in wheelchairs or guide dogs in residential areas.

Tanya Braun, the charity’s director of policy and communications, said: ‘The rollout of electric vehicle charging points should not come at the expense of pedestrians.

‘Tragging cables are a major problem for people with wheelchairs, buggies or guide dogs, preventing them from moving around easily and safely.

Cluttered sidewalks also affect everyone’s desire to walk short distances instead of driving.

“If we want to encourage cleaner, more sustainable modes of travel, we need streets that are walkable.”

Guide Dogs, who campaign for the visually impaired, also said “poorly planned” charging infrastructure creates “unnecessary” stumbling blocks for visually impaired people.

And almost a third are installed ‘on the street’, meaning they are only on ‘residential streets’

Chris Theobold, the charity’s Senior Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager, said: ‘Street litter on sidewalks remains one of the biggest challenges for the blind and partially sighted, with 97 per cent of people with visual impairment experiencing difficulties with street obstacles.

“Obstacles such as curbside parking, wheelie bins and rental bikes and undocked e-scooters in larger cities make safe sidewalk navigation more challenging.

“While poorly planned charging infrastructure on sidewalks and charging cables stretched across sidewalks only create unnecessary tripping hazards that are difficult to detect and avoid for visually impaired people.

“Range cane users are bound to snag their cane on wires running on sidewalks, which could cause injury and would certainly be stressful, especially if it happens every few feet.

“A guide dog is most likely to step over a cable, but the owner of a guide dog may not realize the cable is there, causing him to trip and fall.

“Local authorities should work with manufacturers to develop ways to make charging electric and hybrid vehicles easier by incorporating charging facilities into common street features such as bollards.

“These types of bollards are usually close to the curb and prevent cables from running across the sidewalk.”

There are more than 760,000 all-electric cars in the UK and more than 265,000 battery electric cars will be registered by 2022, a 40 per cent increase from 2021, according to charging app Zapapp.