Many motorists are complaining that car parking spaces aren’t big enough. Is this really the cause of the problem or is the issue really that people are driving increasingly large vehicles?
The largest operator of public car parks in the United Kingdom, Park Rite, say that the dimensions of parking spaces need to relate to the vehicles that the space is intended for. The current standard suggests that bays are 2.4m wide by 4.8m long. But many of todays popular cars, especially four wheel drive and people carriers, will only just fit into this space leaving no room for doors to be opened easily.
There have been reports that some car park operators have purposely made some of their parking spaces narrower in order to squeeze more vehicles into their car parks. Some of the worst offenders are reported to be certain hospital car parks, some supermarkets and some long-stay airport parking lots. There have been reports, from some long stay airport car parks , of people unable to open their doors due to adjacent vehicles being parked too close.
Is the problem due to the size of parking spaces or is it due to the increasing size of popular vehicles? A common and popular 4 wheel drive vehicle is the Toyota Rav4. This vehicle has a width of 1.815m, not including its mirrors. If we allow around 35cm for the wing mirrors this brings the width up to 1.85m. In a parking space of 2.4m in width which would leave only 0.55m or only 0.275m each side. This leaves very little space for getting into and out of the vehicle.
Narrow parking spaces present a particular problem for many vehicles that have long side doors, as do many 3 door models. The popular Renault Clio 3 Door, with its mirrors, is 2.025m. In a 2.4m parking space this would leave only 0.375m or about 0.19m on each side for opening the doors and getting into and out of the car.
It looks like the problem is really down to the size of the cars that people are driving so perhaps car park operators need to take this into account when marking out their parking bays.
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Top Tip: Make the most of your trip by spending a night in an airport hotel before your flight. And why not enjoy the hospitality of an airport lounge before you fly.