We’ve covered plenty of unusual UK driving stories recently. Everything from drivers massively exceeding the speed limit to an increase in wrong-way driving all adds up to some wild things happening in the country. But some unusual rules can sometimes catch drivers out, such as those involving parking.
One of these has recently been reported by Yorkshire Live, with it stating that a lot of drivers have been pulled into a £100 ($132) fine bracket due to a rule that hasn’t changed in 50 years. It is a parking rule that is getting harder to comply with every year.
This is related to ‘car spreading,’ and it is due to the size of cars and how they have grown in length and height every year since 2000. In fact, it has become such a problem that a motoring expert has warned of the dangers when it comes to parking modern cars.
The problem is the size of the parking bays that cars must park in at parking lots and garages. The UK stipulates that they must be a certain width and length, but as cars have become bigger and bigger, suddenly the bays have become too small for a lot of cars.
Why UK Parking Bays Have Become a Big Problem
In the UK, parking guidelines have not changed in over 50 years. Alicia Gempsted, Car Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket, said of parking bays that the “requirement for public bays is to be 2.4 metres (roughly 8ft) wide by 4.8 metres (roughly 16ft) long.” “As a result, one of the most immediate problems with ‘car spreading’ or ‘car bloat ’ is that so many vehicles no longer comfortably fit into standard car parking spaces,” she added.
With cars increasing in size every year, finding a space big enough is becoming a problem. In fact, cars have increased in size on average by 1.2cm in length and 0.5cm in height every year since 2000. That is around 31cm in length and 13cm in height in total. That is a sizable margin, and one that could cost drivers on British roads dearly.
The problem is that oversized cars can overhang a parking bay and cause all sorts of problems. They could spread into a cycle lane, or block someone’s sight line of the road ahead, or even force pedestrians into the road. This could see the owner of that car penalized under Section 22 of the Road Traffic Act of 1988. In short, drivers could be fined £100/$132, and have three penalty points on their license.
How Can a Fine Be Avoided?
The easiest solution would be to increase the size of parking bays, but that would require a lot of money and work, especially in bigger car parks. Luckily, there are things that drivers of cars can do. For one, you can fold in the wing mirrors on a car. Even this small gesture can stop cycle paths or pavements from being blocked, and make it easier for passing cars if you are parked on a side street.
End bays near junctions and entrances should be avoided if you are in a large car. These often have tighter turning angles, and it means a large SUV could easily obstruct a sight line and become a safety hazard. Finally, those driving large cars should check their parking before they walk away. Just making sure you are not encroaching on anything could make other people’s lives easier and avoid you getting slapped with a fine and penalty points.