Cars in Britain are getting larger, a trend dubbed 'carspreading,' which is creating significant challenges for drivers, road infrastructure, and potentially road safety. The average new car now occupies more space on the road and in parking bays than ever before, with some vehicles exceeding two meters in width, leaving minimal room in standard parking spaces.
A recent YouGov poll indicated that three in five Britons believe SUVs are taking up too much space. Market research by CarGurus shows a 543% surge in SUV models available between 2000 and 2025. Even smaller vehicles, such as the Volkswagen Polo, have increased in width by nearly 20cm since the 1970s, a period when minimum parking bay dimensions were last set.
According to Vehicle Data Global (VDG), the average new car footprint has increased by 12.3% since 2006, growing from 7.67 square meters to 8.61 square meters. The rate of this growth has doubled in the last decade compared to the period between 2006 and 2016. Even popular models like the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Golf have seen their footprints expand considerably.
Three primary factors contribute to this increase in vehicle size: stricter crash-safety regulations requiring more space for crumple zones and airbags, the enduring popularity of SUVs which started as luxury items and have become mainstream family cars, and the profitability for manufacturers who can charge more for these perceived premium vehicles, often using the same underpinnings as smaller cars.
The 'Parking Crisis'
The growing dimensions of cars are exacerbating a "parking crisis" in Britain. A 2024 analysis by Transport & Environment (T&E) found that over half of new cars sold the previous year were too wide for the average 1.8-meter roadside parking bay. VDG data suggests that four fewer vehicles can be parked on a typical 200-meter residential street compared to two decades ago. T&E predicts that Britain's towns and cities could lose 10% of roadside parking spaces by 2040, with London potentially losing around 100,000 spaces.
Many motorists are finding their garages unsuitable for their vehicles, with 37% of those with home garages not using them for parking due to size constraints. The increased difficulty in maneuvering larger cars in tight spaces also contributes to an estimated £1.5 billion annually in vehicle damage repairs in car parks across Britain.
Safety and Environmental Concerns
Beyond parking issues, car size expansion raises safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists. Research by the Vias Institute and a study involving LSHTM and Imperial College London suggests that vulnerable road users are significantly more likely to die when struck by larger vehicles, with SUVs posing a greater risk due to their height and design. T&E also notes that higher bonnets on modern cars can obstruct drivers' views of children.
Environmentally, larger and less fuel-efficient SUVs contribute to increased energy demand and CO2 emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that SUVs accounted for over 20% of the growth in global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2023, and if they were a country, they would be the world's fifth largest emitter.
Policy Responses
Discussions around taxing larger vehicles have emerged. While a proposed showroom tax on larger vehicles did not materialize, some local authorities, like Cardiff Council, impose surcharges on heavier vehicles for parking permits. Paris has implemented a policy trebling parking charges for SUVs, a move London Mayor Sadiq Khan is monitoring. These measures reflect a growing debate on how to regulate vehicle size to mitigate the impacts of 'carspreading'.