More than a million cars sold in the UK each year are too big for normal parking spaces, new research has revealed.
And the numbers are only rising, meaning that new cars are increasingly outgrowing cities and towns, according to Clean Cities.
The campaign network found that 4.6million cars have been sold in the country since 2021 that are larger than an average urban parking space.
The trend for big cars is also concerning because they are more deadly in crashes – due to their weight and tall front ends that can trap people underneath – as well as because of the greater quantities of toxic gases they pump into the air.
UK head of Clean Cities, Oliver Lord, told The Guardian: “Cars are getting bigger every year – while our streets are not. We need carmakers to prioritise normal-sized cars that can be parked more easily and are less dangerous to people walking around. It’s only fair if you want to buy a massive SUV [sports utility vehicle] that you should expect to pay more for the space it takes up.”
Large SUVs – which are over 1.8 metres wide or 4.8 metres long – are too large for most parking spaces, create more potholes, and can be more dangerous for the public, yet they are becoming evermore popular, with a record 1,213,385 cars that were wider than 1.8 metres sold in 2024.
With some cities already cracking down on the vehicles, the campaigners from Clean Cities have issued calls for more charges to be imposed on SUVs in light of the damage they cause to roads and environments as well as the extra space they take up.
Green party peer Jenny Jones, who launched a cross-party anti-SUV alliance last week, said: “Sales of SUVs have leapt up in the last two decades, yet many urban streets and car parking bays are simply too small to accommodate the increasing girth of these vehicles.
“I like what Paris has done to discourage their use, by charging the largest cars as much as three times more to park. In the UK, Bath and Islington councils have introduced similar measures. The government should encourage other councils to replicate these efforts.
“SUVs pollute and are often owned and driven by wealthier citizens at the expense of those in less wealthy areas. They feel safer to drive, but are much less safe for any pedestrians and cyclists they collide with.”
