- Major European cities, including London, face losing up to one in seven on-street parking spaces by 2040 if the trend of increasing car sizes, particularly SUVs, continues.
- Analysis by the Transport & Environment (T&E) think tank warns that this rise in larger vehicles could also lead to approximately 400 additional road deaths annually across the UK and European Union by 2040.
- Since the turn of the millennium, the average length of new cars has expanded by 1.2cm annually, with overall height, bonnet height, and width also growing, making urban areas ill-suited for these vehicles.
- If the current trend persists, London alone could see a reduction of about 100,000 parking spaces.
- T&E criticises car manufacturers for promoting larger models despite shrinking family sizes and calls for clear standards to limit car size and prevent unchecked 'carspreading'.
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