SO, TECHNICALLY, I am a driver (albeit of my wheelchair).

Well, what do all drivers hate?

Potholes.

In a car a pothole might make you swerve, unexpectedly jump, or cause damage to your vehicle. In a wheelchair a pothole has a similar effect except I tend to jump out (technically it’s more thrown out of the front) and the damage is not to my car but to my carcass. Indeed, scuffed knees and hands are the norm.

Thank God potholes are infrequent and Britain’s roads are relatively well kept. But if the ‘roads’ you use are pavements, this is certainly not so true.

Okay, here comes the technical bit. In a wheelchair the small wheels at the front, called castors, are vital for manoeuvrability but due to their size they are also easily stopped in their tracks. When they stop, so does the chair, yet due to inertia the person in the chair doesn’t...

Even the smallest thing can throw me out of the front and on to the ground On Friday night I was out with a friend who was pushing me – something I normally forbid – but due to a combination of alcohol induced laziness and a mild slope, I allowed it.

On crossing a road, the lowered kerb had a tiny lip, perhaps all of two centimetres.

Insignificant to most but not to me, so out I popped.

My friend was mortified; I was fine, only my pride was damaged. After some reassurance and some helpful members of the public, I was back in the chair.

This is not an infrequent event for me. Take a look at what’s under your feet as you walk. Every crack, cobble, drain cover, even pebble or twig can be enough to be a catastrophe. When you first become a wheelchair user it is normally in the environs of a hospital.

Hospital corridors are a dream for a wheelchair user, smooth and clutter- free. When you get unleashed on the world, it’s a quick learning curve.

I constantly have to ‘flick’ over objects on my path.

Imagine a car journey where you have to constantly weave between holes and hazards. It’s exhausting. Not just physically but mentally.

In fact, if you want a good example of a hellish journey for a wheelchair user, take a look at Magdalen Bridge. Beautiful as it is, to me it’s an ugly mess of wonky paving stones and trip hazards that I have no option but to try to navigate a path through.

So how can you the public help?

Well, If you have a gravel drive sweep it and keep the pavement clear.

It’s also a matter for lobbying local councils about – not just for me but those with impaired vision, the elderly, pram users, etc. With a little effort, we can all benefit.