Drivers wrongly use parking bays meant for disabled people because they know they are unlikely to be punished, according to research.
Other able-bodied drivers use the distinctive bays either because it is raining or because it is handy for a cash machine.
The report, which was published yesterday by the Scottish Government, revealed there are five different types of abuser, ranging from those who do it because they see other drivers getting away with it to those who pretend to be disabled when they are not.
The study calls for greater enforcement measures to ensure bays are used only by drivers with a blue badge confirming their disability.
Separate research published by the disability campaigners Capability Scotland four years ago found that 44% of designated bays in places like supermarket car parks were used by non-blue badge holders.
The previous executive commissioned research to find out why there is such a problem and what could be done to tackle it.
More than 30 parking bay abusers were interviewed for the report by Transport and Travel Research Ltd. It said: "A lack of visible interventions to enforce parking bays could encourage their misuse.
"The research participants generally did not expect to be penalised for misusing disabled persons' parking bays in off-street car parks."
The five groups of abusers included those who were "in denial" and insisted they had done nothing wrong, and those who were "reluctant" and unlikely to do it again.
Others fell into the "justified" category because they felt they were entitled to use the spaces because they had a child or were temporarily disabled, while "persistent" abusers admitted to using the bays on a regular basis.
The remainder were fraudulent users of the blue badge.
The report also highlighted some of the reasons why able-bodied drivers use disabled bays. It said: "Bays positioned close to facilities such as ATM machines might be the subject of increased abuse."
The report calls for "regular monitoring" of car parks to ensure disabled bays are being used by the correct people.
It also stressed the need for greater education of the public after finding there was "a lack of respect for disabled people and the impact parking abuse can have".
Faye Gattenby, policy officer with Capability Scotland, agreed that most drivers were unaware of the problems they cause when they park in disabled bays.
She said: "If people realised the impact they have on a disabled person's ability to do their shopping or meet friends, they might think twice."
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