Why it’s getting harder to park your car

The rising popularity of SUVs on Europe’s streets is causing havoc in car parks. UK and EU regulation dictates a minimum parking space width of 180cm. But more than half of all cars sold in the EU last year exceeded this limit – a new report from Transport and Environment notes that many SUVs are taking advantage of EU legislation from the 1990s, originally aimed at lorries and buses. The average width of new cars now exceeds 180cm, with some SUVs more than 200cm wide. They simply don’t fit. Their width can also spell trouble on roads, squeezing available road space between cars and cyclists or pedestrians. Europe’s parking infrastructure is also unprepared for the weight of modern vehicles. Last year, the Institution of Structural Engineers warned of the impact of increasing usage of electric vehicles – many much heavier than the traditional car. They raised concerns about the structural integrity of decades’ old concrete multi-storey car parks if booming EV popularity continues. Campaigners are urging for new caps on cars’ width and weight, which could drastically curtail the SUV boom.