Big Cars and Small Parking Bays
An increasing number of motorists are complaining that car parking spaces, in various car parks, are simply too small. Is this really the cause of the problem or is the issue really that people are driving increasingly large vehicles?
According to Park Rite, the largest operator of public car parks in the United Kingdom, the dimensions of parking spaces need to relate to the vehicles that the space is intended for. The current standard calls for bays that are 2.4m wide and 4.8m in length. But lots of todays most 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.
Some car park operators have been accused of puposely making their parking spaces narrower in order to squeeze more cars into their lots and make more money. Some of the worst offenders are reported to be certain hospital car parks, some supermarkets and some long-stay airport parking lots. We’ve heard reports of people returning from trips abroad and finding that they are unable to open the drivers door due to the adjacent vehicle being parked so 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 has a width of 1.815m, without its mirrors. Allowing about 35cm for the width of the wing mirrors brings the width up to 1.85m. In a parking space of 2.4m in width which would leave only 0.55m or 0.275m on each side. This leaves very little space for getting into and out of the vehicle.
The problem is worse when the car has particularly long doors, as is the case for many of today’s 3 door vehicles. The popular Renault Clio 3 Door, for example, has a width, including mirrors, of 2.025m. In a 2.4m parking space this would leave only 0.375m or only 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.
