Councils that have imposed a parking ban if your car is too long

If you are the owner of a larger vehicle, you may want to think twice before parking in certain public car parks. Five local councils have now imposed length restrictions on vehicles using their facilities, with most setting the limit at 5 meters – shorter than both a Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Despite cars growing by an average of 1cm in width every two years, more than 90% of councils said they had no plans to increase the size of their parking spaces.

Motoring publication Autocar has sent freedom of information requests to all UK councils to inquire about any future plans to expand parking spaces, given that regulations on minimum sizes for off-street bays have not been updated for over half a century. Since the 1970s, the smallest possible parking space is 2.4 meters wide and 4.8 meters long. However, passenger cars have grown significantly in size since then, MailOnline reported.

This increase in size is largely due to modern car design and stricter safety standards, which require larger areas and additional reinforcements to protect drivers and passengers in crashes. The study found that seven of the top 10 best-selling car brands in the UK last year produced at least one car model exceeding this length.

Despite 91.8% of the 287 authorities responding to Autocar’s query not planning to increase the size of their council-run car parks to accommodate larger vehicles, five UK councils already impose maximum length restrictions for vehicles. This puts drivers of many popular models at risk of fines when using council-run facilities.

Wokingham, South Hams, Broadland and South Norfolk and West Devon all have a 5m restriction in place. Cars like the Audi A8 and Kia’s EV9 electric SUV exceed this limit and are therefore considered “unparkable”, as is the latest Range Rover and both the Tesla Model S and Model X EVs.

Thurrock Council has a slightly more lenient length restriction of 5.35 metres, meaning BMW 7 Series (5,319mm) and Land Rover Defender 130 (5,358mm) owners will be fined if they use these authority-run car parks. Height and weight restrictions are also in place in these and other council-run car parks.

Mark Tisshaw, editor of Autocar Business, commented: “We know that cars are getting longer and wider, usually because of the increasingly strict accident and safety legislation they must comply with, and these figures show that too few councils are adapting to this new reality.

“Less than one in 10 of them plan to increase their parking spaces and in some regions you could be fined for parking a car the size of a BMW 7 Series.

“The dimensions of the space should reflect the UK fleet so drivers can park without fear of damaging other vehicles or being fined for overtaking a bay.

“The fact that parking restrictions are almost impossible to find online, with drivers often forced to read the fine print on physical signs at the location to understand the precise rules, only adds to the difficulties drivers face.”

As of 2018, Autocar found that since 2018, councils have issued more than 357,000 Penalty Notices (PCNs) for cars parked outside marked bays, generating more than £8m over the period.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which represents UK carmakers, defended the increasing size of the latest vehicles.

He said new cars are getting bigger to improve safety and allow the use of cleaner powertrains to reduce emissions.

“Modern cars are equipped with advanced safety technology that protects passengers and other road users, from airbags to crumple zones, all contributing to vehicles being bigger than before,” Mr Hawes said.

“Cars are also increasingly housing batteries and electric motors, rather than just motors that can affect size and shape.

“Ultimately, however, it is consumers who influence vehicle design, with manufacturers responding to market tastes and preferences and ensuring that all cars, regardless of size and body type, comply with the relevant regulations.”

If you don’t fancy venturing outdoors with a tape measure, there’s a simple method to determine your car’s dimensions, including its length. The Parkers website offers a car specification checker which allows you to enter your registration number and receive all the specifications for your specific model.

These include the dimensions in section 3, which provide the length of your car in millimeters with the exterior mirrors extended.