- Five municipalities have banned vehicles over 5 meters from using public parking spaces
- This bans cars including the Mercedes S-Class, Range Rover and Tesla Model S
- About 91% of municipalities also said they have no plans to increase parking spaces
If you drive a particularly large car, you may be fined for parking in some public parking lots.
That’s because five councils have introduced length restrictions for vehicles using their parking facilities, with most setting a limit at 5 metres, which is shorter than a Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
And more than nine in 10 councils have said they have no plans to increase the size of their car parks to accommodate today’s much larger vehicles, which are said to be getting 1cm wider every two years.
Automotive title, Autocar, sent a Freedom of Information request to all UK councils to inquire about any future plans to expand the size of car parks, given that regulations around the minimum size of a car park have been in place for over 50 years has not changed.
Since the 1970s, the smallest parking space a car can have has been 2.4 meters wide and 4.8 meters long.
Since then, however, the size of passenger cars has increased dramatically.
Related articles
HOW THIS MONEY CAN HELP
This is mainly the result of a combination of modern car design and stricter safety standards, including the requirement for larger crumple zones and more reinforcements to protect drivers and passengers in crashes.
In fact, the research found that seven of the ten best-selling car brands in Britain produced at least one car over this length last year.
Yet 91.8 per cent of the 287 authorities who responded to Autocar’s request said they have no plans to increase the size of their council-run car parks to accommodate today’s much larger cars.
To make matters worse, five UK councils already impose maximum length restrictions on vehicles, putting drivers of high-selling models at risk of fines if they use council-run facilities.
A total of five municipalities indicate that they expressly prohibit cars from parking in their parking lots if they exceed a certain length.
Wokingham, South Hams, Broadland and South Norfolk and West Devon all have a 5 meter restriction.
Cars including the Audi A8 and Kia’s electric EV9 SUV exceed this restriction and are therefore considered ‘unparkable’, as do the latest Range Rover and both the Tesla Model S and Model X EVs.
Thurrock Council imposes a slightly more lenient length restriction of 5.35 metres, meaning owners of BMW’s 7 Series (5,319mm) and Land Rover’s Defender 130 (5,358mm) will be fined if they use these government-run car parks .
Height and weight restrictions also apply at these and other municipally managed parking garages.
Why are cars getting bigger?
With virtually no council planning to increase the size of their parking spaces, the research says drivers of the largest cars – especially hulking SUVs – will find it increasingly difficult to park without risking being penalized if the current trend of growing car sizes continues.
Click here to change the format of this module
Based on a sample of 27 popular models on sale in 2018 and today, the report found that the average increase in vehicle length is 3.8 inches (97.6 mm).
The car in the sample that has grown the most is the Peugeot 208, which is almost 580 mm (22.8 in) longer than in 2018.
The luxury BMW 7 Series – which starts from just over £100,000 – has become almost a foot longer, meaning it’s too long for the vast majority of parking spaces in the UK.
A similar study carried out earlier this year by green campaign group Transport & Environment found that the average new car sold in Britain becomes 1cm wider every two years.
As a result, many SUVs and larger family-friendly models are wider than on-street parking spaces in London – with T&E claiming they are bullying other transport users, especially cyclists, off the road.
Mark Tisshaw, editor of Autocar Business, said: ‘We know that cars are getting longer and wider, mostly as a result of the increasingly stringent crash and safety legislation they have to comply with, and these figures show that too few councils are adapting to this new reality to adjust.
‘Less than one in ten of them plan to increase their parking spaces and in some regions you risk getting a fine for parking a car the size of a BMW 7 Series.
‘The dimensions of the space should reflect the UK’s car fleet, so motorists can park without fear of damaging other vehicles or being fined if they cross a bay.
‘The fact that it is almost impossible to find the parking restrictions online – with motorists often having to read the fine print on the physical signage at the location to understand the precise rules – only adds to the problems motorists face .’
Since 2018, Autocar found that councils have issued more than 357,000 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for cars parked outside marked bays since 2018, generating more than £8 million in this period.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which represents car manufacturers in Britain, has defended the increasing size of the latest vehicles.
He told This is Money that new cars are getting bigger to improve safety and enable cleaner powertrains to reduce emissions.
“Modern cars are packed with advanced safety technology that protects passengers and other road users, from airbags to crumple zones, all helping to make vehicles bigger than before,” Mr Hawes said.
‘Cars are also increasingly accommodating electric batteries and motors rather than just motors, which can influence size and shape.
‘Ultimately, however, it is consumers who influence vehicle design, with manufacturers responding to market tastes and preferences and ensuring that all cars – regardless of size and body type – comply with the relevant regulations.’
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on it, we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow a commercial relationship to compromise our editorial independence.