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| Parking bays widened for bigger cars, says NCP | Parking bays widened for bigger cars, says NCP |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Car parking spaces are having to be made bigger to meet the growing size of family cars and 4x4s, the UK's largest car park provider has said. | Car parking spaces are having to be made bigger to meet the growing size of family cars and 4x4s, the UK's largest car park provider has said. |
| National Car Parks (NCP) said it had widened some bays in London, Manchester and Bournemouth to cope with the popularity of increasingly large cars. | National Car Parks (NCP) said it had widened some bays in London, Manchester and Bournemouth to cope with the popularity of increasingly large cars. |
| The firm told the Times it planned to widen parking bays "wherever possible". | The firm told the Times it planned to widen parking bays "wherever possible". |
| Accident Exchange, which loans courtesy cars, estimated there had been a 35% rise in parking accidents since 2014. | Accident Exchange, which loans courtesy cars, estimated there had been a 35% rise in parking accidents since 2014. |
| NCP said there was an "extremely fine balance" between the demand for wider spaces and the need for the most number of parking spots as possible. | NCP said there was an "extremely fine balance" between the demand for wider spaces and the need for the most number of parking spots as possible. |
| However, it told the Times: "We are moving towards making the bays wider as we recognise that vehicles are growing in size, especially SUVs." | However, it told the Times: "We are moving towards making the bays wider as we recognise that vehicles are growing in size, especially SUVs." |
| The standard parking space in the UK is 15.7ft (4.8m) in length, by 7.8ft (2.4m) in width. | The standard parking space in the UK is 15.7ft (4.8m) in length, by 7.8ft (2.4m) in width. |
| However, the latest models of the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery, BMW X5 and the Mercedes GL-Class are all longer than 4.8m, while many smaller models have also increased in size. | However, the latest models of the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery, BMW X5 and the Mercedes GL-Class are all longer than 4.8m, while many smaller models have also increased in size. |
| From one transport story to another: | From one transport story to another: |
| Accident Exchange said the number of crashes and scratches while parking was now costing UK insurers about £1.4bn per year. | Accident Exchange said the number of crashes and scratches while parking was now costing UK insurers about £1.4bn per year. |
| Parking-related incidents now account for more than 30% of all accidents, it said, adding that more than 675,000 parking collisions are now registered every year. | Parking-related incidents now account for more than 30% of all accidents, it said, adding that more than 675,000 parking collisions are now registered every year. |
| Director of operations, Scott Hamilton-Cooper, said drivers were "having to squeeze increasingly large cars into spaces that generally haven't got any larger for a very long time". | Director of operations, Scott Hamilton-Cooper, said drivers were "having to squeeze increasingly large cars into spaces that generally haven't got any larger for a very long time". |
| "Manufacturers follow the market, and so cars are outgrowing parking spaces," he said. | "Manufacturers follow the market, and so cars are outgrowing parking spaces," he said. |
| "Not only are popular SUVs usurping smaller hatchbacks when it comes to new cars sales, older smaller cars are being taken off the street. | "Not only are popular SUVs usurping smaller hatchbacks when it comes to new cars sales, older smaller cars are being taken off the street. |
| "The undoubted success of the SUV segment will have played its part - perhaps the roads aren't quite ready for them because some drivers feel certain car parks are no-go areas due the sheer length and width of their cars." | "The undoubted success of the SUV segment will have played its part - perhaps the roads aren't quite ready for them because some drivers feel certain car parks are no-go areas due the sheer length and width of their cars." |
| Socially unacceptable 'tanks' | |
| "I don't want the bays widened," Neil Hawker, from Hampshire says. | |
| "I drive a reasonably large car (BMW 5-series), but do not have difficulty parking in most car parks except when parking next to some particularly wide 4x4s and SUVs, which do take up the whole of their space. | |
| He says the solution is to make particularly large "SUV 'tanks socially unacceptable". | |
| Rob Young, from Gateshead, who drives a Ford Focus, says "nine times out of 10 parking my car is not a great experience". | |
| If parent bays are full, he says he then has to undertake a "struggle" to gain an extra inch of space to help his daughter out of the car. | |
| Phil Rutter, from Rhayader, Powys, says the basic design of car parks in the UK is wrong. | |
| America has "a more pragmatic approach" to parking, he says, by setting out spaces diagonally, therefore using "the space more efficiently". | |
| Anthony Graham says that while wider car parking bays "are needed for larger cars", they should come at "a materially higher price, to encourage more environmentally friendly ways of travel". | |
| But not everybody would be unhappy with that. | |
| Richard Ansell, who owns an Audi Q5, says "virtually all spaces are too small" for his car. | |
| "If I park over the white line because another driver has struggled to fit in a bay I risk getting a parking ticket for parking illegally. | |
| "I would be happy to pay a higher parking tariff in order to safeguard my car." | |
| 'No minimum size' | |
| Sarah Lewis, from the AA, said the overwhelming majority of the organisation's members wanted the size of car parking spaces to be increased. | Sarah Lewis, from the AA, said the overwhelming majority of the organisation's members wanted the size of car parking spaces to be increased. |
| "We spoke to our members and over 90% said that they feel that parking spaces are too small comparatively to the size of modern cars," she told the BBC. | "We spoke to our members and over 90% said that they feel that parking spaces are too small comparatively to the size of modern cars," she told the BBC. |
| "There is nothing more frustrating than coming back to your car and finding it has been damaged." | "There is nothing more frustrating than coming back to your car and finding it has been damaged." |
| Patrick Troy, from the British Parking Association, said the main problem was with older car parks. | Patrick Troy, from the British Parking Association, said the main problem was with older car parks. |
| He said: "There is no legal minimum size, there is a design standard which was put in place some years ago which is 4.8m by 2.4m. But it is just that, a design standard and a lot of car park operators use that as the minimum standard these days. | He said: "There is no legal minimum size, there is a design standard which was put in place some years ago which is 4.8m by 2.4m. But it is just that, a design standard and a lot of car park operators use that as the minimum standard these days. |
| "The problem here is older car parks, some of which have been around since the 60s and 70s and aren't designed for those larger vehicles." | "The problem here is older car parks, some of which have been around since the 60s and 70s and aren't designed for those larger vehicles." |