Heavy SUV models such as Range Rovers have been blamed for leading to parking problems in city centres, according to a leading expert.
Paul Daly, director of InsureDaily.co.uk, claims the rise in popularity of SUVs means manufacturers have had to adopt larger designs for their latest models.
This has led to a rise in vehicle widths across the board which is making it “harder and harder” for road users to squeeze into spaces.
The warning comes after a report from Transport and Environment revealed that new cars were growing wider by around 1cm every two years.
It means average cars are now around 180cm wide, a massive 10cm higher than back in 2001.
Most on-road parking spaces are designed to cater 180cm meaning vehicles will start spilling over into neighbouring bays.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Mr Daly explained: “As drivers have started prioritising space and comfort over small, convenient cars, we’ve seen a rise in bigger cars, and the increased sale of SUVs.
“This has been reflected in the stuttering sales figures of smaller vehicles such as Smart cars in recent years.
“It can also be seen clearly in the growth in size of Mini’s in recent years since their reintroduction, in fact, the latest Mini Countryman is now 5.1 inches longer, 2.4 inches wider and 0.8 inches wider than previous iterations.
“The increase in 4×4 sales does mean that parking spaces are becoming harder and harder for drivers to squeeze their vehicles into, and city streets are becoming more clogged with larger cars.
“The desire for more space, more seats and more comfort are the driving force for drivers to seek larger cars, and for manufacturers to produce larger cars.”
T&E’s study found that among the top 100 models in 2023, a staggering 52 percent of vehicles sold were too wide for the minimum parking space in cities such as London, Paris and Rome.
Luxury SUVs are the most affected with most models measuring 200cm wide meaning they will not fit inside the boundaries.
James Nix, Vehicles Policy Manager at T&E, said: “Cars have been getting wider for decades and that trend will continue until we set a stricter limit.
“Currently the law allows new cars to be as wide as trucks. The result has been big SUVs and American-style pick-up trucks parking on our footpaths and endangering pedestrians, cyclists and everyone else on the road.”
