Drivers call for bigger vehicles to be banned from car parks over accident fears
More than 70 per cent of people think parking spaces should be made bigger
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The majority of drivers state that modern vehicles are too big for multi-storey car parks with many admitting to becoming “stuck” when looking for a space.
New research has found that 65 per cent of motorists say that modern SUV-style cars are too large for multi-storey car parks.
Almost half of Britons (45 per cent) said they had been “stuck” in their car because there was not enough space to open the door.
More than a third admitted having scraped their car when using a larger car park, while 28 per cent had dented the car next to them when trying to open their door.
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A previous warning was issued regarding the size of parking spaces and how some vehicles are more than half a metre longer than the average space.
The investigation found that 161 cars on the market are too long for a space, which generally measures around 16ft long and 8ft wide (4.8m x 2.4m).
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “Many multi-storeys still in use were built in the 1960s, 70s and 80s when cars were simply much smaller than they are today.
“Vehicles have grown substantially thanks to increased safety and comfort measures in the intervening years, and our research shows that drivers don’t feel they can drive around car parks easily as a result.
“The fact that many simply can’t get out of their cars once they are parked shows how bigger cars and undersized parking spaces just don’t match.”
Data from the Startline Used Car Tracker found that 71 per cent of people think that parking spaces should be made bigger.
More than half of all drivers said that only cars below a certain size should be allowed in multi-storey car parks.
Some experts have posed the question of whether there could be more instances of car parks collapsing under the weight of heavier vehicles.
With a growing number of larger and heavier vehicles, namely SUVs, structural engineers have stated older car parks in poor condition could be more prone to collapse.
Major car brand Volvo even announced that it would stop selling estate and saloon cars in the UK because drivers were starting to prioritise SUVs and electric cars.
Paul Burgess continued, saying: “Sadly, there is no easy solution to this problem.
“Cars are unlikely to start to become smaller any time soon, while rebuilding hundreds or thousands of car parks across the country is just as unlikely.”
Research from Which? revealed that 12 vehicles exceed the limit by more than 30cm, with a further 27 cars being so wide that motorists may struggle to open the doors.
The longest car on the market in the UK is believed to be the BMW i7, with the luxury saloon being almost two feet longer than the average parking space.
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There have been fears that older car parks may struggle with the weight of new vehicles
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While drivers may prefer to drive larger, more comfortable vehicles, they could be more likely to see their car scratched or even crashed into.
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