Motorists are being warned of potential fines for parking in bays that they don’t fit in, as well as on-street parking spaces which are too small for their vehicles.
Rule 244 of the Highway Code states that vehicles must not park partially or wholly on the pavement in London.
Rule 246 of the Highway Code states that vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 7.5 tonnes such as large vans must not be parked on a verge, pavement or any land situated between carriageways, without police permission.
The only exception is when parking is essential for loading and unloading, in which case the vehicle can't be left unattended.
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Many drivers are calling for parking spaces to be made bigger
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Because vans are more at risk of fines when parked incorrectly, drivers have been calling for parking spaces to be made larger to accommodate these vehicles.
A recent poll found that 64 per cent of drivers want bigger parking bays in the UK, to avoid conflicts and bad parking.
Vanarama reported a huge uptake in people searching for parking in the UK with 282,000 searches made last month.
Due to smaller car parking spaces, van drivers are having to resort to temporarily parking on double yellow lines, potentially causing an obstruction.
However, parking on double yellows, for any length of time, can see drivers face a parking fine of up to £130.
Research from the van leasing company revealed how 87 per cent of vans are unable to fit into UK car parking spaces.
The data showed that unless the spaces are enlarged, vehicles will outgrow the average parking space in the UK by May 2034.
Additionally, only 50 per cent of van drivers would be able to narrowly squeeze through the entrance of multi-storey car parks, which generally have a 202cm barrier.
According to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), the average width of new cars expanded to 180.3 cm in the first half of 2023, up from 177.8 cm in 2018.
The UK was found to have the second-widest cars on average, following closely behind Germany.
Richard Hebditch, UK director for T&E UK, said: “The trend of cars getting wider has been progressing for decades and that trend will continue until the UK sets stricter limits.
“Currently we allow new cars to be as wide as trucks.
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Parking on double yellows, for any length of time, can see drivers face a parking fine of up to £130.
PA
“This has meant our roads are now home to big SUVs and American-style pick-up trucks that are parking on our footpaths, endangering pedestrians and cyclists and making everyone else on our roads less safe.”
