Campaigners are calling for radical new taxes and charges to be levied on large SUVs as drivers across the UK say the vehicles are "not necessary" in towns and cities.
A new survey has found that four times (71 per cent) as many UK car owners agree that more SUVs will make parking more difficult compared to those in favour of the larger vehicles (15 per cent).
Around six in 10 drivers also agree that SUVs are not necessary in towns and cities, despite the vehicle type being one of the most popular for new sales in the UK.
Research shows three-quarters of SUVs sold in the UK are registered to people living in urban areas, prompting campaigners to take action and call for more to be done to crack down on spacing issues.
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Many drivers agree that SUVs are too big for use in towns and cities
CLEAN CITIES CAMPAIGN
A newly formed organisation, The SUV Alliance, is made up of a coalition of 14 environmental and transport groups, and has published a five-point plan as part of its launch manifesto.
It calls for changes to Vehicle Excise Duty to tax SUVs and the heaviest and most polluting vehicles more when they are first sold.
The SUV Alliance also argues that there should be a maximum size for new car sales from the end of the decade so manufacturers move away from large vehicles that are too big for standard parking spaces.
Concerns have been raised in recent years regarding the sale of new SUVs and the impact they have on parking spaces, with some vehicles now wider and longer than standard spaces, creating further issues on roads.
SUVs made up a staggering 62 per cent of new car sales in 2024
TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
Models including the Ford Ranger Raptor, Mercedes Benz GLE and BMW X5 / X6 are all more than two metres wide, while the Land Rover Defender 130, Audi Q8 and Kia EV9 are all wider than standard on-street parking spaces.
One of the key points from the SUV Alliance includes allowing local authorities to introduce higher parking charges on SUVs and other heavier, more polluting vehicles, mirroring new rules introduced in Paris, France.
A referendum on the issue saw mass support for the new rules to triple the rate for SUVs in the French capital, which has already led to a two-thirds reduction in the number of SUVs using surface parking.
Oliver Lord, UK Head of Clean Cities, said: "Our cities face a double whammy of more cars and bigger cars. Carspreading doesn't just affect parking, these supersized cars increase danger, congestion and pollution on our streets.
Drivers are being encouraged to post images of 'carspreading'
CLEAN CITIES CAMPAIGN
"City leaders must act now and stop carspreading before it's too late. Even car owners want to see change."
In 2024, SUV sales peaked, with 62 per cent of new car sales in the UK being the larger vehicle type, representing a significant increase from just 47 per cent at the start of the decade.
The SUV Alliance say there should be a nationwide ban on adverts for SUVs, which has already been given the green light in Edinburgh. Alongside SUVs, the Scottish city has banned advertising of all tobacco products and cruise ships.
Jillian Anable, Professor of Transport and Energy at the University of Leeds, said: "I believe we will look back with disbelief at how we allowed larger and larger vehicles to take hold."
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Transport and Environment has highlighted how SUVs leave too little space for other road users
TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
She also warned that electric and hybrid SUVs will delay the transition to net zero since the larger batteries require more electricity.
Liz Godfrey, a Manchester-based parent, is also supportive of the scheme, saying: "Carspreading is a threat to our children's health.
"If our streets are more dangerous to walk around then we’re just going to end up with more people driving. Carspreading creates a vicious cycle of feeling safer behind the wheel, which makes the air our children breathe even more toxic."
Drivers are now being encouraged to "name and shame" owners of large SUVs on social media sites X, Instagram and BlueSky with the #carspreading.
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