For someone using a wheelchair or mobility scooter, it can become an impassable obstacle, a safety hazard or even the reason they decide not to leave home at all.
After recently filming one of my YouTube journeys on a path used mobility scooter users, I was reminded yet again just how difficult getting around can be when pavements, roads and shared footpaths are poorly maintained.
The experience highlighted a problem that affects millions of disabled people, older people and anyone with limited mobility, yet one that often goes unnoticed by those who walk these routes every day.
The law and the Highway Code expect wheelchair and mobility scooter users to travel on pavements wherever possible because they are generally safer than the road. Users are expected to travel considerately, keep speeds low and make use of dropped kerbs when crossing roads.
Unfortunately, that guidance assumes the pavement is actually usable.
In reality, many pavements resemble obstacle courses. Uneven slabs, deep potholes, broken tarmac, raised tree roots and steep cambers can make progress slow, uncomfortable and, in some cases, dangerous.
A sudden jolt from hitting a broken surface can throw a wheelchair user forward or destabilise a mobility scooter, particularly for someone already coping with pain, balance issues or limited upper body strength.
Then there are the missing or poorly designed dropped kerbs. Having to travel hundreds of metres simply to find a safe place to cross a road is frustrating enough. Being forced onto the carriageway because there is no accessible route is something no disabled person should have to face.
Charity Scope also highlights broken pavements, potholes, blocked footways and vehicles obstructing dropped kerbs as everyday barriers that wheelchair users regularly encounter.
The impact goes beyond physical safety. Poor accessibility affects independence, confidence and mental wellbeing. Many wheelchair and scooter users carefully plan journeys in advance, avoiding certain streets entirely because they know the surfaces are too rough or hazardous. Some simply decide the journey is not worth the risk.
This becomes an equality issue. Accessible transport isn't just about buses with ramps or trains with step-free access. The humble pavement is arguably the most important part of the accessible transport network, yet it is often the most neglected.
Local authorities understandably face enormous financial pressures, but maintaining pavements should be viewed as essential infrastructure rather than cosmetic improvement. Every repaired paving slab, resurfaced footpath and properly installed dropped kerb gives someone greater freedom to work, shop, visit friends or simply enjoy being outdoors.
When councils prioritise accessible streets, everyone benefits. Parents pushing prams, people using walking frames, cyclists on shared paths, delivery workers and pedestrians all enjoy smoother, safer routes.
My YouTube video demonstrates these challenges from the perspective of someone using a mobility scooter. It offers a glimpse into obstacles that many disabled people face every single day but which able-bodied pedestrians may never notice.
Perhaps the next time we hear debates about potholes, we should remember that the discussion isn't just about protecting cars. It is also about protecting people's independence, dignity and right to move around their own communities safely.
