Many motorists are complaining that car parking spaces aren’t big enough. Is this really a problem or is the issue due to the size of cars that people are driving these days?
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. Their current standard recommends that parking bays are 2.4m wide and 4.8m long. 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. 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, without 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 width leaving only 0.55m or only 0.275m 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, with its mirrors, is 2.025m. In a standard 2.4m parking space this would provide only 0.375m or only around 0.19m on each side for opening the doors and getting into and out of the car.
The only option available to motorists is to complain to the car park operators and ask for larger parking bays that can accommodate wider vehicles.
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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.
