The UK is seeing a new urban problem: carspreading.
With supersized SUVs dominating the streets, parking is getting tighter, roads more dangerous and emissions higher.
A YouGov survey for Clean Cities found that 71% of UK car owners agree that more SUVs will “make parking more difficult,” while 59% say they are not necessary in towns and cities.
Yet SUV sales hit record highs in 2024, making up 62% of new cars sold. Many of these cars are wider than standard parking spaces, forcing cyclists and pedestrians into tighter spaces.
Some of the biggest offenders include the Ford Ranger Raptor (2.03m wide), BMW X5 (2m) and Land Rover Defender 130 (1.99m).
“Our cities face a double whammy of more cars and bigger cars,” said Oliver Lord, UK Head of Clean Cities. “Carspreading doesn’t just affect parking, these supersized cars increase danger, congestion and pollution on our streets.”
The new SUV Alliance, a coalition of 14 environmental and transport groups, is calling for:
- Higher taxes on large SUVs
- Parking surcharges for oversized vehicles
- A ban on SUV advertising, like Edinburgh’s policy
- A maximum car size limit from 2030
Paris has already cut SUV on-street parking by two-thirds by tripling parking fees for heavy vehicles. Clean Cities is now urging UK drivers to share photos of carspreading on social media using #carspreading.
Jillian Anable, Professor of Transport & Energy at the University of Leeds, said: “I believe we will look back with disbelief at how we allowed larger and larger vehicles to take hold.”
