HASLEMERE motorists are being urged to take more care by a town councillor who believes irresponsible driving could lead to many of the area's grassy verges being killed off.
James Mackie believes the green roadside verges are an attractive feature of Haslemere and is calling for drivers to be more considerate.
He told The Herald that if this does not happen, the grassy highway fringes will "simply cease to exist".
Mr Mackie said: "It's happening at Three Gates Lane, Old Haslemere Road and in Hill Road where I live.
"The vehicles are just destroying the verges and soon they will disappear completely."
Mr Mackie says he understands the need for larger vehicles to pass obstructions in the road and recognises that the wet weather that has also had an affect.
But he believes some motorists are paying no respect to the verges by parking and driving on them.
He said: "Old Haslemere Road is fairly narrow and the damage may just be due to cars making their way through. But some people are parking and turning on the verges and they are rapidly deteriorating.
"The ground is wet and muddy at the moment which doesn't help, but people should take extra care in these conditions."
He added: "Highways workers have already tried to repair some of the verges but within no time at all it happens again and everything is back to square one.
"It is very difficult for the maintenance engineers to cope with. All I am asking is for people to be more considerate."
Mr Mackie believes a possible solution to the problem would be extra bollards and kerbs on seriously affected roads.
He said: "It would be regrettable but we would just have to do it. One person in my road has put rocks out to prevent people from driving on the verge. Its not very pretty but it stops people.
"I think we should be considering anything to prevent this from happening any further.
"The verges are a very attractive feature of the town and if we are not careful they will simply cease to exist."
Chairman of the Haslemere Society Robert Serman has also noticed the problem but believes bollards are not the way forward.
He said: "I think we have got quite enough bollards in Haslemere and we don't want any more urbanisation. I think this is certainly something to be avoided.
"This is a rustic town and I would have to deplore the idea of further bollards and kerbs in Haslemere."
He added: "There is a problem but I think it's more a matter of trying to encourage people to be more socially responsible.
"If we can encourage people to be a bit more careful, in an area where most people are responsible, I think that will be enough."