More than one million oversized vehicles are being sold in the UK each year, with new research highlighting that many are too large to fit in standard urban parking spaces. The growing popularity of large cars, particularly SUVs, is raising concerns among campaigners who are urging the government to take action.
Since 2021, approximately 4.6 million vehicles sold in the UK have exceeded the dimensions of a typical city parking space, according to Clean Cities, a campaign network focused on urban air quality and sustainability. The shift toward bulkier vehicles is contributing to congestion, increased pollution, and heightened safety risks on the roads.
Larger vehicles are not only harder to park but also more hazardous in collisions. Their higher mass and elevated front ends make them deadlier for pedestrians, who are more likely to be pulled underneath rather than pushed aside in an impact. These vehicles also emit more pollutants, further degrading air quality in dense urban areas.
“Cars are getting bigger every year – while our streets are not. We need carmakers to prioritise normal-sized cars that can be parked more easily and are less dangerous to people walking around. It’s only fair if you want to buy a massive SUV that you should expect to pay more for the space it takes up,” said Oliver Lord, the UK head of Clean Cities.
In 2024, UK car sales hit a new record with 1,213,385 vehicles sold that were over 1.8 metres in width—making them too large for many public parking spaces. These large SUVs, which can also exceed 4.8 metres in length, are associated with increased wear on roads, contributing to more potholes and infrastructure damage.
Several cities are taking steps to address the issue. Paris, for example, has introduced a tiered parking system where SUV drivers are charged up to three times more than those with smaller vehicles. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also shown support for similar policies, suggesting the capital could follow suit.
Campaigners from Clean Cities are pushing for a UK-wide approach that includes higher charges for oversized vehicles. Their argument is that the additional space and damage these cars cause should be reflected in the cost of driving and parking them in urban environments.
