A think tank warns that London could lose up to one in seven on-street parking spaces if car sizes continue to increase at the current rate. Transport & Environment (T&E) conducted the study and claims streets are becoming dominated by “oversized” vehicles that cities “simply weren’t designed for.” The trend, which critics call “carspreading,” could also increase road deaths.
Growth in Car Dimensions Since 2000
Since the turn of the millennium, the average length of new cars has increased by 1.2 cm per year, while overall height, bonnet height, and width have grown by about 0.5 cm per year, according to the research. If this trajectory continues, on-street parking capacity across cities could shrink by between 8.5% and 14% by 2040. For London, this means losing about 100,000 parking spaces.
Potential Increase in Road Deaths
T&E also warns that the rise of larger SUVs could lead to approximately 400 additional road deaths annually by 2040 across the UK and European Union, compared to a scenario where car sizes returned to 2015 levels. The think tank claims that car makers have “shifted away from smaller models” despite “shrinking family sizes and falling car occupancy.”
Expert Reactions
Anna Krajinska, T&E UK director, said: “Car manufacturers have spent decades pushing large expensive cars at the expense of smaller models. After 25 years of relentless growth, our streets are dominated by oversized SUVs that cities simply weren’t designed for. The result is a lose-lose: councils are forced to reshape streets around larger vehicles, sacrificing parking capacity, public space and safety in the process. This is a market failure. Without clear standards to limit car size and encourage right-sizing, carspreading will continue unchecked, and cities will keep paying the price.”
AA president Edmund King offered a different perspective: “The AA advice for drivers is to choose the safest vehicle for occupants and pedestrians which meets their needs, using EuroNCAP ratings. This may be a compact city car, a larger family people carrier or a sports car. Depending on design, some larger cars can be safer for pedestrians, as well as occupants, so it is too simplistic to assume larger cars are more dangerous.”
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, added: “Consumers ultimately influence vehicle design, with manufacturers responding to market preferences. Cars have, typically, increased in size over time to reflect those trends, but also the need to accommodate vastly increased safety technology that saves lives, and new technologies such as large battery packs to deliver the electric range drivers expect – essential for driving up EV uptake.”
