A shift towards larger vehicles could lead to a reduction in on-street parking spaces in major cities, a study by the think tank Transport & Environment (T&E) revealed. The research highlighted concerns that the increasing popularity of bigger cars, particularly SUVs, may contribute to higher road fatalities, a phenomenon dubbed as “carspreading.”
According to the study, urban streets are increasingly being taken over by “oversized” vehicles that were not initially accommodated in city designs. The analysis showed that the length of new cars has been growing by 1.2cm annually since the year 2000, with overall height, bonnet height, and width increasing by approximately 0.5cm per year.
If this trend persists, cities could see a reduction in on-street parking availability by 8.5% to 14% by 2040, potentially resulting in London losing around 100,000 parking spots. T&E also warned that the surge in larger SUVs might lead to approximately 400 additional road fatalities annually by 2040 in the UK and the European Union compared to a scenario where car sizes reverted to 2015 levels.
The think tank criticized car manufacturers for favoring larger models over smaller ones despite declining family sizes and lower car occupancy rates. T&E UK director, Anna Krajinska, emphasized the need for regulations to limit car sizes and promote more suitable vehicle dimensions to prevent further urban congestion and safety risks associated with “carspreading.”
The organization highlighted the negative impact of oversized SUVs on parking capacity, public spaces, and overall safety, calling for a shift towards right-sizing vehicles to address the market failure. Without appropriate standards in place, the prevalence of larger cars in urban environments is expected to persist, resulting in continued challenges for cities and their infrastructure.
