Carspreading.
When big cars make our cities smaller.
Carspreading is taking over our citieS
Cars are getting bigger — about 1cm wider every two years. The thing is, our streets aren’t.
More than half of new cars in the UK are too wide for urban parking spaces, leaving our cities crowded and congested.¹
Carspreading is putting lives at risk
As cars get bigger, so do the risks. People hit by larger cars when walking or cycling are far less likely to survive.²
Carspreading is damaging our planet
Petrol and diesel SUVs burn around 20% more fuel,³ and electric SUVs require more resources and critical battery minerals.
Carspreading is a luxury
The majority of new cars in the UK are expensive SUVs.⁴ Carmakers should prioritise practical and affordable cars instead.
Send us your pics
Once you’ve seen carspreading, you see it everywhere. Share your photos* and captions on social media with #carspreading (and don’t forget to tag us!), or email us
*It’s perfectly legal to post a license plate on social media, but if your picture shows illegal road (or pavement!) use, it might be best to smudge it out anyway.
How do we stop
carspreading?
At the national level, government should adjust taxes in favour of lighter and more appropriately sized cars.
There should also be maximum width, length and height limits for new cars. Current regulations allow for cars to be built as wide as a truck.
Sources:
¹https://www.transportenvironment.org/te-united-kingdom/articles/cars-are-getting-too-big-for-british-roads-new-research-shows
²https://www.vias.be/fr/newsroom/des-voitures-plus-lourdes-plus-hautes-et-plus-puissantes-pour-une-securite-routiere-a-deux-vitesses-/
³https://www.iea.org/commentaries/as-their-sales-continue-to-rise-suvs-global-co2-emissions-are-nearing-1-billion-tonnes
⁴Analysis of Dataforce data by T&E, 2025