As cars get bigger and wider, so must parking spaces

Modern vehicles are wider for safety and other reasons, prompting UK city councils to spend $1.2 million on parking facilities

Is the car getting too fat? If you ask the folks at Carscoops, their answer is probably an emphatic “yes.” Many of us miss the days of smaller, lighter, and more flexible products. We’ve all seen photos of the original Mini parked next to the latest model, or as our main image shows, a first-generation Porsche 911 sitting alongside a more modern model. Even the E39 5 Series from thirty years ago pales in comparison to Bavaria’s latest model.

We could argue for days about the reasons for the increase in car size. It’s safe to say it revolves around satisfying consumer demands for more space, requests for more sheet metal to improve safety, and designers’ desire to follow the “bigger is better” trend.

Read: South Korea to ban fully charged electric cars from parking lots after massive EQE fire

But the ever-increasing size of modern machinery has created problems for drivers and authorities in Colchester, England. The result is a newly announced £1 million ($1.2 million) plan by the city council to avoid fat-shaming new cars.

parking lot problem

Yes, maybe many of you have already faced this problem: the size of the parking space does not solve the problem. Particularly in the UK – a country not quite used to accommodating full-size SUVs or pick-ups – the slots are narrower than ideal for a modern car.

talking bbc news, Martin Goss, head of community services at Colchester City Council, highlighted these issues. “Many parking spaces in our city centers are underutilized because they are too narrow for modern vehicles,” he said.

The upgrade will be carried out at the city’s St Mary’s and St John’s car parks. As well as improved payment systems, CCTV and lighting, car park spaces will also be widened to give car drivers confidence that their vehicles can accommodate more.

RAC blames security

One of the reasons cars are getting wider is because of improved safety. RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “The concerns center around the fact that modern vehicles have become wider due to the introduction of side impact protection technology.”

Williams lamented that wider cars present an interesting problem for parking lot operators. Where space is already limited, the requirement to repaint cubicles can be complicated. However, accommodations also need to be made for drivers or passengers with reduced mobility.

It is currently a costly move for Colchester City Council. However, with a tender imminent and a target completion date of 2026, car park operators have no choice but to adapt to the times of ever-increasing vehicle growth.