Cars becoming too big for British roads, leaving less room for cyclists, new research shows

New research from environmental think tank Transport and Environment (T&A) has found that cars in the UK are becoming too big for British roads, with the average width of cars now exceeding the minimum width of an on-street parking space.

The researchers say this leaves less space for other road users like cyclists and pedestrians, and makes everyone less safe. Cycling UK meanwhile has suggested that the trend for wider cars will result in cyclists suffering a greater number of dangerous close passes, especially on roads with on-street parking.

The average width of a new car in the first half of 2023 was 180.3cm, up from 177.8cm in 2018. An on-street parking space, meanwhile, can be 180cm wide. That means the average car cannot fit in some parking spaces, often resulting in drivers parking on the pavement or encroaching onto the carriageway.

The problem, say T&A, is that new cars are subject to the same 255cm maximum width requirement as buses and trucks. They say that unless this maximum is reviewed, large SUVs and American-style pickup trucks will only get wider in the coming years: data compiled by the International Council on Clean Transportation suggests that cars have grown 1cm wider every two years for the past two decades.

Dragging the average up are luxury SUVs, which average around 200cm wide, according to T&A. It is often impossible to park vehicles of this size in town and city parking spots. Indeed, Paris is leading the way with a proposed plan to charge triple parking fees for SUVs, with a vote taking place on 4 February.

Meanwhile, T&A UK accompanies this research with a plea for the government to review its maximum width rule for domestic cars. It suggests that the UK and EU change their regulations together, to reduce compliance costs for manufacturers.

Richard Hebditch, UK Director for T&E UK, said:

“The trend of cars getting wider has been progressing for decades and that trend will continue until the UK sets stricter limits. Currently we allow new cars to be as wide as trucks. This has meant our roads are now home to big SUVs and American style pick-up trucks that are parking on our footpaths, endangering pedestrians and cyclists and making everyone else on our roads less safe.”

Sarah McMonagle, director of external affairs at Cycling UK, said:

“In general, people driving wider vehicles are more likely to pass people cycling more closely than those driving narrower ones. This is particularly the case on narrow rural lanes or on residential streets with lots of parking, where those on bikes are often bullied off the road to make way. We need government action to stop motor manufacturers fuelling our addiction to ever more obese cars. Bigger cars are not better, they’re less sustainable, make our roads more dangerous, and take up more space, increasing congestion.”