IT'S taken some time, but it's finally dawned on me why the Americans refer to pavements as sidewalks.

During the lockdowns it's not been easy getting my daily exercise.

It's been limited to a walk round the block most evenings - mostly very pleasant, apart from one thing that irks me.

Having started with an Americanism, you can wager your last greenback that during my evening constitutional I'll harangue some poor, unsuspecting stranger unfortunate enough to have set foot outdoors at the same time as me.

"It's a disgrace, something's got to be done about it, why do they allow it?" I scream my well-rehearsed rant.

It brings me a certain satisfaction that my targets always agree, although deep down I know it's their polite way of wishing me gone.

So what is it that drives me to such volcanic rage?

Put simply, it's cars, vans and lorries parked on pavements.

Frequently, I have to use my 'side walk' to get past - sidling left leg and left arm first, followed by my right members.

It's far worse for some people - I've seen parents pushing prams and pushchairs and wheelchair users forced into the road to get past,

By now we should have got the hang of social distancing, so why don't we apply it to vehicles?

Basically, park on the road, not on the pavement.

Not for nothing do we call pavements 'footways'. They're not parkways.

Admittedly, we've had to give up half of some of our pavements to cyclists.

That's OK. I can live with cycleways and walkways. (I'm not so sure about runways for joggers though. That might cause an issue for an airline pilot making an emergency landing and discovering Cheddon Road Runway on Google Maps. And driveways are something different).

But it looks as though the Government could be coming to my aid - and also the aid of those ear-bashed unfortunates I've been tormenting during my evening outings over the past year.

According to information seeping out of Whitehall, a new law could be introduced this month banning parking on pavements,

Select Car Leasing reports that pavement parking could land the offender with a £70 fine. Only slightly more than leaving your vehicle in a car park for the day then.

The proposals follow concerns raised in local communities on how pavement parking raises the risk of injury for pedestrians.

Outlawing it would improve the safety of disabled and visually impaired people.

Daryl Tavernor, who has used a wheelchair since he was eight, said: "UK residential estates, especially newly built estates, suffer from bad parking habits.

"People seem to just dump their cars on the pavement, wheels pointing out and leaving little room for pedestrians to safely pass.

"As a wheelchair user this creates major issues.

"We can't just slip past a gap or walk around the car in the road. I often have to use the road instead of the pavement due to inconsiderate parking.

"For wheelchair users, it's not just the lack of space on the pavements. It's people parking in front of dropped kerbs too.

"This creates big problems if I have to use the road to get around a car parked on the pavement only to find another vehicle parked over the dropped kerb, leaving me stuck in the road.

"I welcome tougher rules to clamp down on inconsiderate parkers which put the lives of vulnerable children and wheelchair users at risk."

Currently, it is illegal to park "partially or wholly" on the pavement in London.

If the same rules are to apply across the country, then we'd be prohibited from parking on pavements, grass verges and ramps linking private property to roads.

The only exceptions would be where signage states it is safe to do so for unloading deliveries.

Select Car Leasing director Mark Tongue said: "The guidelines are currently quite confusing for motorists.

"A pavement parking ban is 100 per cent needed nationwide – anything that puts pedestrians at an increased risk requires action.

"However, the information given so far is slightly confusing for drivers.

"At the moment, there’s no clear guidelines for those who park on the pavement due to having no room on their own drive.

"Most households have more than one car, so it will be interesting to see where motorists are expected to park if not on the pavement outside their homes.

"Clear guidance is required for drivers so they know the correct location to park in order to avoid a fine."