More than one in 10 British motorists would defy a pavement parking ban if it was introduced following a government consultation, according to research from Yourparkingspace.co.uk.

The study found that 16% of motorists would flout the ban, despite the risk of punishment.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps set out new proposals earlier this month to launch a consultation in the summer, aimed at improving pedestrian safety for people with mobility or sight impairments, as well as parents with prams who may be forced into the road to get around parked cars.

It is already illegal to park on the pavement in London and is due to be outlawed in Scotland from 2021, but it is a grey area in other parts of the UK.

Harrison Woods, managing director of Yourparkingspace.co.uk, said: “It seems likely that pavement parking will become punishable in many parts of the country, yet this won’t deter a sizeable number of motorists from continuing to do so.

“We would remind all motorists to consider their actions and how it impacts on others.”

Parking on a pavement can cause major inconvenience to people in wheelchairs, the partially sighted and those with pushchairs, among others, who struggle to find room to pass the vehicle.

However, some motorists who park on a pavement say they do it out of necessity as, for instance, parking on the road in a narrow street could block emergency vehicles.

Harrison added: “Pavement parking has always been a contentious issue, and even if it is banned across the whole of the UK, it will continue to divide opinion.”