Residential streets overflowing with cars that don’t fit into private garages

20 July 2021

A recent study by the RAC Foundation has found that residential streets are becoming progressively more blocked by parked cars as new car models become larger and unable to fit into garages. 

The study found that the top five most popular car models in the UK in the 1960’s were an average of 4 feet 11 inches wide and 12 feet 9 inches long, compared with 5 feet 11 inches wide and 14 feet 1 inches long today. 

Private garages, in most cases, have remained at an average of 6 feet 11 inches, meaning that new, larger car models can fit with just 6 inches of clearance either side. 

It was estimated that around 5.7 million private garages are not used for parking cars in the UK, but instead ‘filled with junk’. A majority of 92 per cent put this down to their garage being too small for their car. 

• 39 per cent said there was not enough space to comfortably get out of their car inside the garage.
• 23 per cent said they couldn’t open the car door inside the garage.
• 30 per cent said their car doesn’t even fit through the garage door. 

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said, “Not only are cars getting bigger – there are more of them. This is putting huge pressure on roadside space. Crucially, domestic garages are also often unfit for their intended purpose”.

Contact us for Minibus Leasing 

To find out more about our minibus leasing services for schools, colleges, universities and charities, please contact us on 01480 220444 or email info@marshall-minibus.co.uk.

Back to Blog listings