Drivers are having trouble getting in and out of their cars because vehicles have become wider but parking spaces haven’t grown, according to research.
Most spaces in car parks are still based on guidelines from the 1970s, but analysis of 10 popular family motors shows they’ve crept up in size.
Churchill Motor Insurance said their average width had increased from 168cm to 180cm.
The British Parking Association recommends a 240cm-wide space – in theory leaving just 30cm (1ft) on each side.
That could be especially tricky if the car next door isn’t in the centre of their own space.
A Ford Fiesta, for example, was 155cm when first launched in 1976 but has grown to 174cm wide.
Another UK favourite, the Vauxhall Corsa, has grown 24cm to 177cm.
Even more modern vehicles such as the Nissan Qashqai, released in 2007, have grown – from 178cm to 184cm.
Churchill estimates damage caused by struggling with parking bays and hitting a wall, another vehicle or a bollard costs UK drivers £424m every year.
Image: The Corsa is one of the cars that’s grown wider over the years. Pic: iStock
Two in five of the 2,000 people surveyed said they had struggled getting in or out their car when parked up at least once a month.
Some 22% had even been forced to clamber through the boot at least once, according to the survey.
A third (32%) said they owned a bigger car than five years ago.
Common reasons were wanting more comfort, needing space for work or leisure gear, or just because they liked the design of a larger vehicle.
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“Widening cars combined with parking bays that haven’t been redesigned to accommodate today’s models means motorists all over the country are at risk of damaging their cars, through no fault of their own,” said Churchill boss Nicholas Mantel.
The RAC said a common reason for cars becoming wider was the introduction of side impact protection technology.
“Operators are faced with the dilemma of having to repaint spaces to accommodate these larger vehicles, which is especially difficult at some older multi-storey car parks where space is already restricted,” said RAC head of policy Simon Williams.
“Unfortunately, this would lead to an overall reduction in the total number of spaces available and an inevitable increase in charges to compensate for the loss of revenue.”
Mr Williams said the problem of tighter spaces was especially frustrating for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues.
The sun rising every day is a moment that will always stick in the back of the throat of Harvey’s mum.
Her 17-year-old son was killed in a crash in Gwynedd last November, and now a daily occurrence has become a constant reminder of her loss.
“Harvey in his diary wrote that he was looking forward to the summer, spending more time with his family and friends,” Crystal Owen told Sky News.
“As soon as the sun comes out, you’re just in tears because you think he’s never going to see the sun again. It’s just all the little things that you don’t even think about.”
Harvey was one of four teenagers from the Shrewsbury area who died in a crash in the rural village of Garreg.
The inquest into their deaths has been opened and adjourned pending further inquiries.
Image: Crystal Owen with her son Harvey. Pic: Crystal Owen
Crystal Owen, 39, has launched a petition calling on the UK government to introduce a graduate licensing scheme.
It would mean drivers under the age of 25 would not be able to travel with passengers in the first 12 months after passing their test.
“I know he would still be here if this law was in place, that’s what angers me so much,” Ms Owen told Sky News.
“Before any of this happened with Harvey, I hadn’t really looked into road safety as such because Harvey was not even interested in taking his lessons. It wasn’t on our list of things to worry about at that time.”
‘Majorly overlooked’
Ms Owen said that people should listen to the evidence when it comes to road safety.
“I remember at work, us all talking about this 20mph [default speed limit in Wales] thinking it was over the top. One of my staff actually lives in Wales and she was joking about how long it was going to take to get to work,” she said.
“The evidence speaks for itself, so I think we all just need to learn to trust it and not think we know best.”
But rural roads are “majorly overlooked” in current legislation, according to Ms Owen.
That’s why she’s calling for young drivers to have to take a minimum of 40 hours of lessons before taking their test.
Image: Harvey was killed in a crash with three others in Gwynedd last year. Pic: Crystal Owen
‘Loveliest young man’
Ms Owen said Harvey was the “loveliest young man”.
“He’d never even had a detention, he was just a lovely, lovely lad,” she added.
“He loved his little sisters, absolutely adored them. He was just a real thoughtful, very calm, laid back sort of boy.”
Ms Owen said her family’s lives, and that of thousands of others, had been “devastated” by road traffic collisions.
“In any other way these deaths were occurring in such high numbers, there’d be an absolute outcry, but they just seem to be accepted because it’s a car crash.”
Image: His mother said he was the ‘loveliest young man’. Pic: Crystal Owen
Image: Ben with mum Carla (left) and sister Ashleigh (right). Pic: Ashleigh Rogers
‘They see it as fun’
Ben Rogers was 19 when he was killed in a crash in Swansea in May 2022.
Owain Hammett-George, who was 17 at the time of the crash, was jailed for six years last month for causing death by dangerous driving.
The court heard he had been driving at speeds of up to 78mph on a 30mph stretch of the B4436 in Bishopston.
Both Ben and Kaitlyn Davies, also 19, died instantly and another passenger sustained life-changing injuries.
Ben’s mum Carla King told Sky News she hoped tougher rules for young drivers, including a mandatory black box, would mean they’re more aware of their responsibility.
Image: Ben with family dog Hudson. Pic: Ashleigh Rogers
“They just go out and see it as fun, don’t they? They show off and they speed, inexperienced, they think they’re invincible,” she said.
“I don’t recall anybody ever saying to me you’re responsible for this. You’re driving, you’re responsible for all your passengers, you’re responsible for anybody in the car you hit. It’s a weapon, I don’t think that’s drilled in enough.”
Image: Ben on his 18th birthday. Pic: Ashleigh Rogers
‘Keep Ben’s name alive’
Ben’s sister, Ashleigh Rogers, 27, said he was “just a happy, bubbly person”.
“He was with me throughout everything. All my dark days and all through my happy times, he would be one of the first people I would tell. He was the first person who found out I was having a little boy,” she added.
“He was there a lot and it’s taunting that he won’t be there for the rest of my life, like my wedding and other things like that. But you’ve just got to remember the person that he was when he was here.”
Ben’s loss has been “heartbreaking”, Ms King added.
“I’m actually still in my bed because some days I just can’t get out of bed. It is difficult,” she said.
“Even Easter, not being able to buy his favourite chocolate and have him up for Easter lunch and Christmas lunch and buy him gifts and everything.”
Ben’s mum hopes their calls for change will help to “honour” his name.
“All we can do now is… try to keep Ben’s name alive,” she added.
Image: Olivia Alkir. Pic: Jo Alkir
‘Help them help themselves’
Jo Alkir, 54, has been campaigning on road safety for the last five years.
Her daughter Olivia was 17 when she died in a crash less than a mile from her home in Denbighshire in June 2019.
She was killed after the driver – who had only passed his test the day before – hit an oncoming vehicle while racing with another boy.
A three-part lesson based on Olivia’s story has been taught in schools across North Wales, to make pupils aware of the potential consequences of dangerous driving.
In the years since her daughter’s death, Ms Alkir has taken the campaign both to the Senedd and to Westminster.
She told Sky News a graduated driver’s licence “would have saved Olivia’s life”.
“It’s not controls as in you want to be in control of them, it’s controls to help them help themselves.”
The newly-appointed deputy head girl of her school was described by her mum as “really hard-working”.
“She and I were incredibly close. She was my only child,” Ms Alkir added.
“She was lovely company for me to be with. I loved every single second, every minute I spent with her. She was a joy to be around.”
Image: Olivia, 17, with her mother, Jo. Pic: Jo Alkir
‘Constant grief’
Ms Alkir said the loss of Olivia had left her feeling “constant grief”.
“It’s the most tiring thing a human could have because you’re just constantly battling to get out of bed and go to work. It’s a battle because all the different emotions that you’re feeling,” she said.
“She was such a bright, beautiful girl… and what her future could have been. She could have been anything.”
While it’s “frustrating” that five years on from Olivia’s death, the government is yet to act, focusing on the campaign has “really helped” Ms Alkir.
“It’s just really important for me to help her be remembered as well, because she was meant to achieve, but she is through her legacy,” she added.
“And I’m sure all the other parents who are in my shoes as well. It’s a very similar feeling I’m sure of not letting it just be in vain, not wasting what happened. Using the opportunity to make some changes.”
‘No plans’
In response to the petition, the Department for Transport said there are “no plans to introduce tougher restrictions on new drivers” but added that it is keeping licensing requirements “under review”.
“Every death on our roads is a tragedy and we continue to work tirelessly to improve road safety,” a DfT spokesperson said.
“We’ve commissioned research designed to help learner and newly qualified drivers improve their skills and safety, while our THINK! campaign is specifically targeted at young drivers.”
Young drivers with automatic-only licences face paying £760 more for car insurance than those who can also drive a manual vehicle, according to new figures.
In what is described as a “concerning” rise, figures from comparison site Compare the Market show motorists under 25 with automatic licences now pay £2,803 on average.
That is a year-on-year increase of £916.
It is a concern for the increasing number of drivers taking automatic-only tests, with DVLA data showing that 138,354 passed in an automatic car in 2022-23.
That figure was 34,749 in 2012-13.
“The increasing cost of car insurance is concerning for young drivers across the board, particularly those who have only learnt to drive automatic cars,” Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Compare the Market, said.
“These drivers face paying over £900 more this year to insure their car.”
The figures also show insurance premiums have risen since January 2023 by £644 on average to reach £2,009 for drivers under 25.
It all means young drivers now face paying £3,043 on average for the total running costs of a vehicle, a 25% increase from last year when this bill stood at £2,436.
“A tip for young drivers would be to look around for cheaper car insurance first, either when their policy is up for renewal, or when taking out insurance for the first time,” Ms Daniels added.
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“Adding an experienced named driver to a person’s insurance can also help reduce prices – as long as the information is accurate.
“Finally, a telematic policy, also known as a black box, can help give a younger driver more affordable quotes.”
Hundreds of drivers are said to have been wrongly fined after a fake 50mph sign was placed in a 40mph speed zone – but the Metropolitan Police has said the fines are still “within the law”.
The sign was erected on the A20 in Sidcup, southeast London.
Transport for London reduced the speed limit on the road last year “in response to a number of incidents caused by ongoing flooding issues”.
The Met said it has now launched an investigation into the incident as an attempt to “pervert the court of justice”.
But the force said it is satisfied the fines issued are “within the law” as there were several other 40mph speed signs in the area.
Dominic Smith, director at Patterson Law, a firm that specialises in motoring offences, said he has never “seen anything quite like this, on this magnitude”.
He added: “We’ve been contacted in the last week by about 400 or 500 individuals, of which about 100 to 150 are at risk of losing their licences because of this.
“Usually when a new speed camera goes up, we can tell here because we get maybe about two or three enquiries a day for a couple of days – 40 to 50 a day we’re getting at the moment. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson said: “For a short period, an incorrect 50mph sign was illegally placed at one location on the road by somebody who had not been authorised by TfL to place it here, putting people travelling at risk.
“This was immediately replaced with the correct 40mph signage. All other signage is correct and compliant with the regulations.”
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The spokesperson added: “Safety is our number one priority and we temporarily introduced a 40mph speed limit on the A20 Sidcup Road in response to a number of incidents caused by ongoing flooding issues, which could have posed a risk to life.
“It is important that people follow the new speed limit to ensure that everyone can travel safely along this road and safety camera enforcement is a vital part of this.
“We want to ensure that all drivers are treated fairly and new, regular speed limit signage, compliant with all traffic sign regulations, was installed to ensure that everyone driving here is aware of the new limit.”
People in London will be able to order black cabs through Uber from early next year, the company has announced.
A spokesman for the firm said a “small number” of taxi drivers have already signed up to the service and it hopes to recruit “several hundred” by January.
Senior figures in the black cab industry have frequently expressed concerns over the growth of Uber, which has traditionally offered minicab journeys.
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), which represents taxi drivers, claimed there is “no demand” from passengers for a partnership, and accused Uber of attempting to use black cabs to “reinvigorate their ailing business model”.
People who book a taxi through the app will be shown an estimated price but will be charged the fare on the meter plus a £2 booking fee retained by Uber.
Uber said it will not charge new drivers commission for their first six months but didn’t reveal what the fee would be after that period.
Uber’s UK general manager, Andrew Brem, said: “We’re partnering with taxi drivers across the world and the message we are hearing from them is clear: Uber and taxis are better together.
“Black cabs are an iconic part of the capital, loved by Londoners and visitors alike, and we are proud to work side by side.
“Partnership is win-win-win: helping London cab drivers earn more, boosting travel options for passengers, and making London’s transport network more efficient.”
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Uber said taxi drivers in Paris, New York, Rome and other major cities in 33 countries already provide journeys booked through its app.
Mr McNamara said: “There is no demand for this partnership from the London licensed taxi drivers we represent or our passengers.
“We are not aware of any drivers having been recruited and don’t believe our members will even consider joining the app, given its well-documented poor record on everything from passenger safety to workers’ rights in London.”
He said taxis can already be booked through a range of apps such as Gett, TaxiApp, FreeNow and ComCab.
Disruption to rail journeys are expected across the country this week as train drivers refuse to work overtime for six days.
ASLEF announced last month that its members would withdraw non-contractual overtime, known as rest-day working, with 16 of the country’s 35 rail operators from Monday 3 July to Saturday 8 July.
Train companies affected are: Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; Cross Country; East Midlands Railway; Greater Anglia; GWR; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway main line; SWR depot drivers; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains.
The action may impact visitors to the first week of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
It is understood that there have been no negotiations between the union and the rail operators since the action was announced on 19 June.
Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, said at the time: “Once again, we find ourselves with no alternative but to take this action.
Image: ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan
“We have continually come to the negotiating table in good faith, seeking to resolve this dispute.
“Sadly, it is clear from the actions of both the train operating companies and the government that they do not want an end to the dispute.
“Their goals appear to be to continue industrial strife and to do down our industry.
“We don’t want to inconvenience the public.
Rail strikes: Full list of July dates, lines and services affected by industrial action
“We just want to see our members paid fairly during a cost-of-living crisis when inflation is running at above 10%, and to not see our terms and conditions taken away.
“It’s time for the Government and the companies to think again and look for a resolution.”
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group responded: “ASLEF’s leadership continues to disrupt customers’ travel plans.
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Rail union boss ‘not at fault’
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“They rejected a fair and affordable offer without putting it to their members which would take average driver base salaries for a basic salary for a four-day week without overtime from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023 pay awards.
“Train companies will work hard to minimise the impact of the overtime ban but the impact of ASLEF’s action will vary across the 16 train operators and customers are advised to check their travel plans before setting off.
“We ask ASLEF to recognise the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better railway with a strong long-term future.”
Almost two-thirds of drivers have said they believe aggressive cyclists are a threat to their safety.
Around 2,000 motorists in the UK were polled by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart for a survey, which also revealed that 60% of drivers believe aggressive cyclists are now a bigger problem, compared with three years ago.
A similar percentage of people said they would not support a law assuming drivers are always responsible for collisions with cyclists or pedestrians in urban areas.
“The government has introduced a range of laws in recent years in an effort to fix the daily conflicts we see between motorists and cyclists,” IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research Neil Greig said.
“However, if our research is anything to go by, this has largely been to no avail, with the majority of respondents still reporting aggression and conflict among road users.”
Mr Greig added that there was “no quick-fix” to this issue, but that the research revealed an urgent need for the government to continue to educate people on the new Highway Code.
The charity director also advised the government to invest in safe road markings for those who are “vulnerable road users,” in order to minimise the chance of “conflict”.
“In the meantime, all road users, whether on two or four wheels, should exercise calmness and restraint to help us all use Britain’s roads safely.”
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Some 108 people were killed in 2021 in crashes where aggressive driving was a contributory factor.
Cyclists can also cause ‘real harm’ when there’s ‘lack of care’
A “death by dangerous cycling” law was proposed in 2022, by then transport secretary Grant Shapps.
Under this plan, cyclists who kill other road users would be treated the same as motorists.
Mr Shapps said the law is needed “to impress on cyclists the real harm they can cause when speed is combined with lack of care,” he said in the Mail last year.
“We need to crack down on this disregard for road safety. Relatives of victims have waited too long for this straightforward measure,” he added.
Nearly four out of five (78%) respondents to the IAM RoadSmart survey said people driving motor vehicles aggressively are putting their safety at risk.
Rail passengers are facing fresh travel chaos today as train drivers hold another strike leaving large parts of the country with no services all day.
Members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
Operators said there would be severe disruption, with trains that do run due to start later and finish much earlier than usual – typically between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
Saturday morning services are also expected to be affected.
Read more: Who is going on strike and when?
The rail industry has criticised the rejection of an offer which would give drivers an 8% pay rise over two years, taking average salaries up from nearly £60,000 a year, to almost £65,000.
Simon Weller, assistant general secretary of Aslef, said the dispute was going “backwards” because of the lack of progress in months of talks.
“I don’t know whether to point the finger of blame at the ineptitude of the Department for Transport or the Rail Delivery Group.
“We would struggle to recommend a deal of a 4% pay rise for last year and 4% this year if there were no conditions attached, but we are being asked to give up collective bargaining and effectively agree to a no-strike deal.
“Obviously it was going to be rejected – it was designed to fail.”
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: “To minimise the impact of the Aslef action, we advise passengers to check before they travel, allow extra time and find out when their first and last train will depart.”
It will be the second strike by train drivers this week, after they took part in the huge day of industrial action on Wednesday.
Other professions who walked out included teachers, university staff, civil servants, bus drivers and security guards.
Around 1,900 members of Unite working as bus drivers for Abellio in London will complete a three-day strike on Friday in a separate dispute over pay.
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Meanwhile, train services between Scotland and England will be severely disrupted by the strike.
Cross-border services operated by CrossCountry, Transpennine Express and Avanti West Coast will not run on Friday.
LNER said it will run an amended service and Lumo, which run trains between Edinburgh and London, said it will aim to run as many services as possible.
No LNER trains will run any further north than Edinburgh, with trains between Edinburgh and London King’s Cross starting later and finishing earlier than usual.
ScotRail has reassured customers that all services would operate as normal this week.
Train operating companies have offered the drivers’ union a two-year deal in a bid to resolve the bitter pay dispute – as strikes across the rail network continue on Saturday.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said it was offering a “landmark outline proposal” in exchange for a pay increase of 4% for 2022 and 4% for this year.
It also includes a commitment to no compulsory redundancies until at least 31 March 2024.
Steve Montgomery, chairman of the RDG, said: “This is a fair and affordable offer in challenging times, providing a significant uplift in salary for train drivers while bringing in common-sense and long-overdue reforms that would drive up reliability for passengers and allow the railway to adapt to changed travel patterns.”
Drivers’ union Aslef said it had not seen the offer.
It comes as RMT union members at Network Rail and 14 train companies are continuing with a 48-hour strike which is set to cripple services across the country again on Saturday.
Only around one in five trains will run, with services starting later and finishing earlier.
The RMT has rejected a pay offer from train companies of 4% last year and 4% this year, saying a “host of unacceptable changes” were included such as the widespread expansion of driver-only operation on train services.
It argued that while rail workers have had their pay frozen between March 2020 and September 2022, official data showed that the private train operators made £310m in taxpayer-funded profits during the same period.
Image: Southeastern train drivers outside Ramsgate station in Kent during a strike by drivers from the Aslef union
By September this year, that figure will be in excess of £400m, all of which can be turned into shareholder dividends, said the union.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “While the secretary of state and the Rail Delivery Group spin about the need for reform to fund pay rises, the truth is that the money was always there but it’s being salted away by a gang of profiteers and their mates in the government.
“It’s outrageous that the interests of workers, passengers and the taxpaying public are all sacrificed to the greed of a handful of private transport companies who are being guaranteed profits when they can’t run a railway even when we’re not on strike.”
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The latest strikes are part of a long-running pay dispute between rail staff and the train operating companies, that has caused widespread disruption to services across the UK.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Passengers have rightly had enough of rail strikes and want the disruption to end.
“Unions should step back from this strike action so we can start 2023 by ending this damaging dispute.”
Drivers have been warned to expect long queues as millions take to the roads ahead of the Christmas weekend.
The AA has said Friday will be the busiest day on the roads this week with an estimated 16.9 million journeys being made across the UK.
A further 16.6 million are expected to be made on Christmas Eve.
Congestion will be further compounded thanks to a strike by thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail, causing train services to finish at around 3pm on Saturday.
Those traveling by air have also been warned to prepare for delays as Border Force workers are also set to strike on Friday.
According to the RAC the roads will be busiest between 10am and 7pm on Friday, the last working day before Christmas.
Roads likely to be most affected congestion include the M25, the M60 near Manchester, the M6 in northwest England and the M40 in Oxfordshire.
Transport analytics company Inrix expects journey times to be around 14% longer compared to the same period last year.
National Highways said almost 98% of England’s motorways and major A-roads will be fully open until the end of 2 January due to it completing and lifting roadworks.
AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens said: “We are advising those heading out in their cars to be prepared for some congestion, especially on popular routes heading out of London.
“The rail strikes have convinced more people to travel by car this year, and while hundreds of miles of roadworks have been removed to ease the pain, it might not be enough to keep the queues away.”
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said there will be “two frantic days of travelling just before Christmas”.
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: “With pre-pandemic levels of travellers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays – especially in and around major cities.”
