[Rob211]

Sounds sensible. If you can’t get a bin lorry through the street, then fire and other emergency services might struggle too.

I know, although I think in an emergency the fire brigade won't be too worried about scratching a few cars and knocking a few wing mirrors off.

The price of parking restrictions would be loss of half the parking spaces, on a road which has houses on both sides, many of which own more than one car. There is already a shortage of space, with some people having to park on surrounding streets (which all have similar problems). Other options might include narrowing the pavements, introducing herringbone type parking spaces, and introducing a one-way system. Or demolishing a few houses to make a car park! Essentially for the residents it is easier to put up with the bin not being emptied some weeks and hope there's never a need for a fire engine, than to deal with the loss of parking spaces.

 

[Parkwood]

I know, although I think in an emergency the fire brigade won't be too worried about scratching a few cars and knocking a few wing mirrors off.

The price of parking restrictions would be loss of half the parking spaces, on a road which has houses on both sides, many of which own more than one car. There is already a shortage of space, with some people having to park on surrounding streets (which all have similar problems). Other options might include narrowing the pavements, introducing herringbone type parking spaces, and introducing a one-way system. Or demolishing a few houses to make a car park! Essentially for the residents it is easier to put up with the bin not being emptied some weeks and hope there's never a need for a fire engine, than to deal with the loss of parking spaces.

The fire brigade would be worried as the owners would expect them to pay for said damage I can assure you as someone who worked for insurers of the fire brigade!

 

[Paul4A]

Of course cars have become much safer and that required them to be on average larger to make space for extra reinforcement and airbags, etc.

Perhaps on average but it’s not absolutely necessary in all cases. My Mk1 Focus for instance had either 5 or 7 airbags ( can’t recall) but it included side airbags. The passenger cell of the body shell was very strong and rigid. It had traction control, ABS etc. Now it may not have had lane departure but lots of people turn that off anyway as it can be annoying. Safety doesn’t necessarily need super wide, just good design. Larger means heavier and harder to stop, and often more pedestrian impact

 

[simcity]

Perhaps on average but it’s not absolutely necessary in all cases. My Mk1 Focus for instance had either 5 or 7 airbags ( can’t recall) but it included side airbags. The passenger cell of the body shell was very strong and rigid. It had traction control, ABS etc. Now it may not have had lane departure but lots of people turn that off anyway as it can be annoying. Safety doesn’t necessarily need super wide, just good design. Larger means heavier and harder to stop, and often more pedestrian impact

Sure about that?

2019 Focus - NCAP report -
Pedestrian
The bonnet provided predominantly good or adequate protection to the head of a struck pedestrian, with some poor results only on the stiff windscreen pillars. Protection of the pelvis was also good or adequate, with the bumper scoring maximum points for its protection of pedestrians' legs. The autonomous emergency braking system performed well or adequately in all tests of its pedestrian and cyclist detection, in daylight and low-light conditions.

1999 Focus - NCAP report -
Pedestrian
The car’s front end was very stiff, particularly around the bumper, and the bonnet gave too little protection where a child’s head would most likely strike.

 

[cliffcoggin]

It’s one thing making spaces in large car parks bigger but something I don’t see mentioned is the problem of parking on streets. Some of the streets in the towns hereabouts used to be comfortably driven with cars parked at the side but now it’s getting to be a bit of a squeeze.

All the more reason to ban on street parking in residential areas. I am no fan of Mr. Kahn but he has the right idea in trying to exclude vehicles from towns.

 

[M4rm1t3]

All the more reason to ban on street parking in residential areas. I am no fan of Mr. Kahn but he has the right idea in trying to exclude vehicles from towns.

If you exclude vehicles from towns, how will the food/ clothes etc in shops get delivered?
You can't pick and choose.

 

[Rob211]

All the more reason to ban on street parking in residential areas. I am no fan of Mr. Kahn but he has the right idea in trying to exclude vehicles from towns.

And that kind of works in London, where it is perfectly possible to live without a car (as many do) due to the excellent public transport network (excellent compared to most of the rest of the UK). And in the central areas, many of the services people need are in walking distance.

It works less well in other areas, where public transport is ether poor or non-existent, and has got worse over the last few years, where the big shops tend to be out of town on retail parks, etc.

 

[cliffcoggin]

If you exclude vehicles from towns, how will the food/ clothes etc in shops get delivered?
You can't pick and choose.

High streets as shopping destinations are already close to death because of retail parks and home delivery services, so why prolong the agony?
Ultimately one must choose between the livelihoods of the few and the health of the residents.

 

[M4rm1t3]

High streets as shopping destinations are already close to death because of retail parks and home delivery services, so why prolong the agony?
Ultimately one must choose between the livelihoods of the few and the health of the residents.

But where will the residents go for their food if the shops shut?

Rock and a hard place.

Until the ev trucks pick up the pace

 

[Astolat]

If you start to apply wider bays retrospectively you could get dramatic improvements in width in old multi storey car parks. Where there were four bays between columns there will now be three bays 33% wider! Total carpark capacity reduced by 25% though.

10% improvement cannot be done!

That’s roughly what’s happened in one of our local car parks - it has 12 floors but a small town centre footprint. In some cases the positioning of a pillar near a ramp means that two spaces have gone down to one - I had to stop someone trying to park their (admittedly small city) car in the gap between spaces in front of the pillar recently!

As someone who is circumferentially challenged and therefore needs to open the driver’s side door wider than others may, I have to say that it’s bliss parking there, even though there are fewer spaces. That, however, also aligns with Guildford’s planning principles - they want fewer cars in the town centre anyway.

 

[Paul4A]

Here’s an article in The Guardian newspaper today about bloated cars, though largely on increased pollution from such cars.

 

[GarryL]

That, however, also aligns with Guildford’s planning principles - they want fewer cars in the town centre anyway.

Can't help thinking that, by combining this with encouraging bigger cars into the centre, they aren't really thinking straight.

 

[Parkwood]

Here’s an article in The Guardian newspaper today about bloated cars, though largely on increased pollution from such cars.

Is it also not a matter that we have bloated cars for bloated people? People are also bigger and heavier than they were too.

 

[TomH]

Is it also not a matter that we have bloated cars for bloated people? People are also bigger and heavier than they were too.

There's also the fashion influence of USA. I understand that the big SUVs and big pickups ("trucks") are classified as commercial vehicles in most states so completely avoid the emissions rules for cars. Cheap fuel also helps reduce the economic penalty.

The image is the thing. Some people like to think of themselves as cowboys. And, everywhere, using a big car shows that you can afford a big car and the cost of running it

 

[Parkwood]

There's also the fashion influence of USA. I understand that the big SUVs and big pickups ("trucks") are classified as commercial vehicles in most states so completely avoid the emissions rules for cars. Cheap fuel also helps reduce the economic penalty.

The image is the thing. Some people like to think of themselves as cowboys. And, everywhere, using a big car shows that you can afford a big car and the cost of running it

You might be right but do not forget the life if an average Brit in their little box living check by jowl in densely populated areas is nowhere near the same as people living in much of the states or indeed even here in rural normandie. Many many people do need vehicles to transport bigger loads,larger families things an average Brit would never need to transport. The horrible American truck abonimations are extremely praticable for those who need them I have a friend who has one. A european version would be smaller but not as much as some people would like I am sure. And I make the point yet again lots of people no longer fit smaller cars. A friend has a larger skoda SUV as he finds he simply cannot get into anything else due to a lack of flexibility.
They do consider the new EQE SUV mid size by the way……

 

[dashpool]

I think a lot of the "I need it to transport big loads" amounts to not wanting to deal with a trailer, and trying to buy one vehicle that will "do it all". Which is possible if you have plenty of spare cash to spend to buy and fuel a much-larger-than necessary vehicle.

A small cabover pick-up (basically, just a small commercial truck without an extended bonnet) fits into a normal parking space and seats three (admittedly, not in comfort), with a far lower, longer and more utilitarian tray than a modern US-style pickup. Even a normal-wheelbase Transit van will fit in a normal parking space, and fit as many people in as you can be bothered installing seats. As well as taking quite big/long loads (although you may have to move some seats). Or, you know, an estate/station wagon.

1.5m of bonnet sticking out the front of a US-style pickup, on the other hand, serves no useful purpose whatsoever except hiding children (or even short adults).

 

[TomH]

You might be right but do not forget the life if an average Brit in their little box living check by jowl in densely populated areas is nowhere near the same as people living in much of the states or indeed even here in rural normandie. Many many people do need vehicles to transport bigger loads,larger families things an average Brit would never need to transport. The horrible American truck abonimations are extremely praticable for those who need them I have a friend who has one. A european version would be smaller but not as much as some people would like I am sure. And I make the point yet again lots of people no longer fit smaller cars. A friend has a larger skoda SUV as he finds he simply cannot get into anything else due to a lack of flexibility.
They do consider the new EQE SUV mid size by the way……

No argument with people who actually need a big vehicle for practical purposes. I'd bet that for every 4 wheel drive pickup run by a farmer in UK there are ten run by people who don't need one.

Decades ago I met a man who worked for a major building contractor as the agent on a big site. He had kept refusing the high spec company car that he was entitled to until the company discovered that he had eight children. They got him a minibus.

Horses for courses.

 

[Paul4A]

Here’s an article in The Guardian about how emissions would have been 30% lower had the trend ballooning of SUV not came about.

 

[Paul4A]

Decades ago I met a man who worked for a major building contractor as the agent on a big site. He had kept refusing the high spec company car that he was entitled to until the company discovered that he had eight children. They got him a minibus.

Horses for courses.

I've known two different building related contracts managers who got large polluting crew cab 4*4 pick ups as company cars yet they never personally needed a pick up for work equipment. They told me that they got them for company tax reasons as they were cheaper than a standard car.

 

[TomH]

I've known two different building related contracts managers who got large polluting crew cab 4*4 pick ups as company cars yet they never personally needed a pick up for work equipment. They told me that they got them for company tax reasons as they were cheaper than a standard car.

And there's the butch look that you get with a truck.

I notice that the Caravan Club have abandoned their rule about no commercial vehicles as tow cars on their sites.