Modern 2025 cars are outgrowing the size of parking spaces
- Modern cars are growing larger, making parking spaces feel cramped
- Colchester is widening parking spaces to accommodate bigger vehicles
- Smaller parking spaces can discourage buyers from choosing larger cars
Published on Jan 16, 2025 at 2:16 PM (UTC+4)
by Daksh Chaudhary
Last updated on Jan 16, 2025 at 2:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Modern cars and parking spaces are in a bit of a mismatched relationship today – imagine fitting a sumo wrestler into skinny jeans.
Cars are growing bigger and wider, while parking spaces seem to have stayed the same size for decades.
This problem is now very obvious in Colchester, a city in the United Kingdom, where parking spots are simply too narrow for today’s oversized vehicles.
But don’t worry, the local government has a plan to fix it.
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Modern cars and their issues with parking spaces
In Colchester, many parking bays in the city center are not being used because they are just too small.
Drivers feel stressed trying to squeeze their vehicles into tight spaces, leading to more frustration and less parking.
To tackle this, the city council is working on widening these spaces, starting with St Mary’s and improving access to St John’s car parks.
The goal is to make parking less of a headache and prepare for the growing demand in the future.
The issue was brought to light by the BBC in an interview.
“Many of our city center parking bays are underused simply because they are too narrow for modern vehicles,” Martin Goss said, portfolio holder for neighborhood services.
The council believes that wider parking spaces will help drivers feel confident about parking their cars without worrying about scratching them or blocking others.
They also think this will make visiting the city center a better experience for everyone.
While the issue looks small, it’s as concerning as the abandoned car graveyard in California that costs millions of dollars to clean.
Colchester is taking the first step
However, there’s a funny twist in the story.
The things are sometimes the other way around.
Narrow parking spaces can control the demand for giant modern cars.
When buyers see that their giant car won’t fit in most spots, they might think twice about going bigger.
This issue is not just about Colchester; most parking infrastructures were created with smaller cars in mind.
All we can say is, that Colchester is taking the first step in making these changes.
