1m Cars Sold in UK Too Big to Fit in Average Parking Space

New research shows that more than 1 million cars too big for standard parking spaces are being sold in the UK each year.

Campaign network Clean Cities found that 4.6 million vehicles sold since 2021 are wider or longer than a typical urban bay.

Researchers say larger cars are deadlier in crashes, release more toxic gases and worsen road conditions.

Despite this, SUV sales are booming. A record 1,213,385 cars wider than 1.8 metres were sold in 2024 alone.

Oliver Lord, UK head of Clean Cities, said: “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 that you should expect to pay more for the space it takes up.”

Large SUVs are classed as vehicles over 1.8m wide or 4.8m long. Campaigners say they damage roads, create parking issues, and pose a greater risk to pedestrians.

Several cities are now taking action.

Paris has introduced triple parking charges for SUV drivers. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has expressed support for similar schemes.

Clean Cities has called for nationwide SUV charges to reflect the road space and environmental cost of oversized vehicles.

Harriet Edwards, a parent from Sutton, said: “It’s not just the added stress of not being able to find somewhere to park, it’s the sense that if I’m involved in a collision with one of these giant SUVs, that me and my family are far more likely to be seriously hurt or killed.

“If you cause more danger, create more potholes and take up more parking space, it’s only fair that you pay a little bit more.”

The Green Party peer Jenny Jones recently launched a cross-party anti-SUV alliance in the House of Lords.

She 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.”