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Motoring news

British cars outgrow parking spaces, incur extra fees

20/02/2012

Cars favoured by British motorists seem to keep growing bigger and bigger, but unfortunately for urban areas and car parks, parking spaces have remained the same size. And this has caused several councils to enact fines for the new, large motors.

The Department of Transport has an established width for parking spaces already - five feet and eleven inches, to be precise, but 4x4s and other vehicles tend to overstep those bounds by large measures, causing the vehicles to stick out into roads or into other spaces.

According to local transport minister Norman Baker, the regulations should be handed down to local councils in order to maintain safety in their areas.

"The rules on the size of parking bays are designed to allow councils flexibility when putting bays in place on their roads so that they can provide parking where possible while still ensuring that drivers, cyclists and pedestrians can navigate the road safely," he told the Telegraph.

However, Baker also urged motorists with larger vehicles to be mindful when choosing where to park their vehicles, whether it be on narrow roads or in car parks.

"If all parking bays had to be wide enough to accommodate larger cars and 4x4s driving would be made impossible on many narrow roads," he said. "Those who drive the largest cars may need to take in to account that not all parking bays will be suitable for these vehicles."

Length of cars is also being taken into account as more councils - including West Dorset and Hackney - make moves to shorten the average length of parking bays.

Safe parking should always be a primary concern of drivers, as ensuring a good fit will help safeguard against damages, keeping car insurance premiums down as well.