Cardiff set to tackle SUV ‘carspreading’ in UK first
Cardiff Council is set to become the first local authority in the UK to introduce higher parking charges for SUVs and other heavy vehicles, in a move campaigners say will make city streets safer and fairer.
Councillors will vote today (Thursday, 16 October) on the city’s new Parking Plan, which proposes a surcharge for vehicles weighing over 2,400kg.
That threshold will later be lowered to 2,000kg for non-electric vehicles, while very large vehicles – those over 3,500kg – will be excluded from residential permits entirely.
The council report argues that “large heavy vehicles take up more parking space and are a danger to other road users.”
The local authorities proposals follow a consultation in which 66% of respondents supported higher charges for larger cars, compared with 24% who opposed the plan.
Petition
This was prompted by a petition signed by hundreds of residents urged the council to act on “carspreading,” warning that SUVs increase road danger.
The petition highlighted research showing that the higher front profile of SUVs makes collisions particularly dangerous for children, who are more likely to be pushed underneath the vehicle than to the side.
Helen Edwards, whose teenage son was struck by a car last year, welcomed the policy.
“Families like mine live every day with the consequences of our streets being dominated by ever-larger vehicles. This isn’t about punishing drivers – it’s about protecting children, pedestrians and our communities,” she said. “If this change helps even one family avoid what we went through, it will be worth it.”
Evidence suggests the risks are significant. A study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that children are three times more likely to die if hit by an SUV compared with a standard car.
Campaign group Clean Cities, a founding member of the SUV Alliance – a coalition of 19 environmental and transport organisations – praised Cardiff’s leadership.
‘Vision’
Oliver Lord, UK head of Clean Cities, said: “Cardiff is showing real vision by standing up to SUV carspreading. It’s only fair that those driving the biggest, heaviest and most polluting vehicles pay more for the extra space and danger they bring. This common-sense policy will make our city streets safer, cleaner and fairer. Other UK cities could learn from Cardiff’s example.”
International examples suggest such measures can have an impact. Paris tripled parking fees for heavy vehicles earlier this year, and officials there report a two-thirds reduction in SUVs using surface parking since the change.
SUV sales have surged across the UK in recent years. More than 62% of new cars sold are now SUVs, with around 4.6 million larger-than-standard vehicles sold since 2021 – many too big for current urban parking spaces.
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I think there is some sense in this proposal but does it also include commercial vehicles, because that would hit small businesses who have no other option than to use say a transit type van?
The proposal says the limit will later be lowered to 2,000kg for non-electric vehicles. Are we to assume that being run over by an electric SUV is less deadly than being run over by a petrol SUV? Also electric vehicles of each class tend to have a longer chassis to distribute the weight of the batteries so are the main cause of ‘carspreading’. Gesture politics in Cardiff.
It seems reasonable to simply link the charge to height, width, length and weight which are presumably all on the DVLA database.
I think more detail is required and more consultation to get the weight limits & timings absolutely right. The principle is a good one as so many city cars are wholly oversized for the owner’s need. Is such a policy anti-car? I would say it is more pro-pedestrian. The current balance is wrong and if the 20mph limit has taught us anything, it’s that risk can be reduced but the transition must be communicated and managed appropriately.
The weight makes a difference. A 2000kg vehicle hitting someone at, say 20mph will produce less force than a 3500kg vehicle.
The chassis, bumper to bumper is not longer than in petrol cars at all though the axles may be further apart
Just don’t walk out in front of vehicles, even a cyclist hitting you at enough speed ( they are not speed restricted ) could kill you. Will these parking restrictions hit delivery lorries and busses too, because they are much heavier. Lets not forget parked vehicles are not moving so don’t run anyone over. Use the pedestrian crossings etc, if there’s not enough pedestrian crossings, then we should have more. Basically this whole this is just about revenue, not safety.
Electric cars of equivalent size are almost always heavier due to the mass of the batteries. That’s why they need to make an allowance for this. Otherwise they would be discouraging EV ownership. It has nothing to do with deadliness of being struck by one which, as anyone with an ounce of education knows, is affected exponentially more by the velocity of the vehicle than by its mass (K = ½mv²). Length is irrelevant as the qualifying criterion is the mass of the vehicle. So your points are moot.
I can see the point of this proposal, but given the very considerable additional weight of battery-powered vehicles, it does strike me that this policy isn’t too likely to encourage people to opt to buy one when they decide that it’s time to change the car.
Although I drive a relatively small car ( big enough for my needs) I still find the grasping attitudes of Cardiff and many other councils in Wales very off putting. At least the capital has a fairly good public transport system so it’s easy to park out in a quiet suburb and bus it into the centre. That same standard of flexibility is not available in other parts of Wales.
This policy must come with a rail based park and ride scheme, with stations on all sides of the city centre offering ample free parking with a rail ticket.
Good news. More of this sort of thing. Means test everyone and start again
YES
We’ll all be driving around at 5mph in bubble cars before too long
Why.
How come? Or is this just a reply to make you appear edgy and relevant?
If I had a £1 for every time I heard ‘I need a big car to keep my family safe in a crash’, I could buy a new tractor to go shopping on.
You must talk to posh people.
Fine.
I currently drive an SUV STYLE car. It’s bigger than it needs to be. Its only benefit is that you can see around the SUVs in front of you.
I had a Peugeot 2008 which was plenty large enough for my needs, being a supermini /SUV crossover and 300mm narrower than my current vehicle.
Parking next to SUVs in a standard 2.4m x 4.8m parking space is a nightmare.
When my car is up for renewal, I’m going back to the EV Supermini / SUV
Well, I’m 6’3″ SUV’s are made to fit people my size… supermini’s are like noddy cars to me physically….. but having said that.. I usually travel by motorcycle so take up not much space at all, either travelling or parked… Only use the car if the weather is bad or picking stuff up..but again this isn’t about safety its about raising money.
Maybe we should include teaching pedestrians how to use the roads properly, since everyone else is expected to use the roads competently except the most vulnerable! If you’ve been run over on the road and it isn’t a crossing where you have priority, surely you shouldn’t have been in the road in the first place.
But another point, where are the park and ride facilities so that people don’t need to take their cars into the city and thus reduce the numbers of vehicles entering? Yet again, it’s a Labour council punishing people, for not using something that isn’t provided…
three ton of pig iron vs squishy meat bag. I know where the onus must be.
Sooo, I’m not able to safely cross my own street if it doesn’t have a formal crossing? OK, Mr Toad! 😐
On a positive note, there are 24 stations around Cardiff where you can park and then catch the train into the city, if other forms of transport aren’t tenable – there’s a handy list on the TfW website.
What is the evidence from other European countries that have done this? Has it helped or crippled the local economy?
Check out Paris.
I believe it is still there and thriving.
In Paris the additional charges only apply to visitors to Paris. Residents are exempt. Also, tradesmen are exempt. So a plumber with a Hilux is exempt. As are all vehicles registered inside any Paris arrondissements.
so as usual, making all about cost, if you are rich you can do what you like if not, tough….