"I was only going to be quick" is one of the common excuses people use to justify illegally parking in a disabled parking bay, according to a recently surveyed focus group.
But do these people ever stop to think about how their actions might be affecting someone who really needs that parking space?
'This Bay is Someone's Day', is a new campaign launched on December 3 that wants to remind everyone how important these bays are for those with a disability.
It's a unique collaboration between ACROD permit holders and local artists and aims to stop the misuse of ACROD bays in the community through the medium of art.
It is being undertaken in partnership between 25 local government areas including Mandurah, shopping centres, RAC and National Disability Services with funding from Department of Communities; and its launch coincides with International Day of People With Disability.
Perth-based commercial illustrator and artist Sofia Varano has joined with the Mandurah Forum to create colourful disabled bays as part of the campaign.
Having a strong illustrative style has given Sofia the opportunity to work with well known global clients including Amazon Pay, The Washington Post and Orange Telecommunications.
Locally, she has collaborated with notable clients including Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, RAC, Transperth and Headspace.
"I am really excited to be part of this creative project as it will be a personally rewarding artistic experience driven by an objective I strongly believe needs to be addressed in our community," Sofia said.
"I think the campaign will be a powerful and effective way of bringing public awareness to the misuse of ACROD bays and I am thrilled to be a part of the mission that hopefully reduces this statistic."
The campaign was co-designed with people with disability and based on the findings of surveys the NDS undertook with ACROD permit holders.
They wanted to know how important the bays are for them, how often they see bays being misused, and what happens when they can't get a bay.
NDS also surveyed drivers who had parked illegally without a permit to find out why they do it and if they understand the impact of their actions.
Other excuses from the focus group of people who had previously illegally parked in ACROD bays were: "I just needed to pop into the chemist before it shut"; "I needed to grab a coffee at a popular coffee shop that has terrible parking"; "I had to use the ATM and was only going to be two minutes".
Many drivers claimed not to realise the full impact that taking up an ACROD bay can have on permit-holders, even for just a few minutes.
It was evident from the research that many people had little understanding of why they were so important for people with disability to access the community.
Conversely, a survey of ACROD permit-holders found that 90 per cent reported that ACROD bays were vital to their independence and 79 per cent had witnessed a car parked in an ACROD bay without a permit.
More than 90,000 West Australians with a severe mobility restriction have an ACROD permit.
On-the-spot fines for illegally parking in an ACROD bay has increased from $300 to $500 and court imposed penalties have increased from $2000 to $5000.
