Why finding a car parking space may become more difficult

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'.