Why are we parking our bigger vehicles in tight spaces?

I was leaving a popular local butcher shop last week when my path was obstructed by a driver in a Ford pickup who was having trouble parking his oversized rig. It was a massive Super Duty — a crew cab long-box dually — which meant it took him a few minutes and several attempts to maneuver the vehicle into a prime parking spot near the store entrance. The delicate process inconvenienced many other drivers in the process.

The parking lot in question is known for having rather narrow spaces, typically 8-8½ feet wide. The problem was that the dually happened to measure 8 feet wide at the hips, making it particularly difficult to park in such a tight space. It makes me wonder why owners of big pickups or large SUVs even attempt to park in those spots instead of seeking an easier spot in a more accommodating location. This is a scenario that many of us have dealt with before – returning to our vehicle only to find that someone has parked too close. Often, this is due to a poor parking job or someone attempting to fit a vehicle into a space where it luxuriously does not belong.

The typical parking space is about 8 feet wide, or 96 inches, but it’s not rare to find some that are between 8½ to 9 feet. However, precise measurements don’t seem to be a standard practice, as parking spots in the same lot might range from 7 to 10 feet wide. It seems that the trend toward bigger vehicles has made finding adequate parking spaces more uncomfortable. Full-size pickups, for instance, have increased in size in recent years and typically measure around 80 inches. Some trucks have even wider mirrors that could span a full parking spot and make things even more difficult. Average sedans or small to medium-sized SUVs fit naturally in a standard parking spot, but the trend toward larger vehicles has made it difficult to navigate parking in crowded lots.

Aside from big vehicles not fitting comfortably in a standard parking space, they often make it difficult for other drivers to exit their own cars. The cause of these inconveniences is not the large vehicle itself but rather a lack of available parking that can accommodate them.

In an ideal world, parking lot and garage designs would begin to take the trend of larger vehicles into account when determining parking spaces. Some regions are already suggesting larger dimensions for parking spots; however, it seems that there is yet to be an industry-wide standard in this regard. While many parking lots have large vehicles in mind and have adjusted their parking spots accordingly, it’s not uncommon to see small compact spots labeled strictly for small cars, only for drivers of large vehicles to use them anyway in a desperate attempt to park.

One thing that does help to alleviate the parking crunch is thoughtfully painted buffer zones between parking spots. These buffer zones might vary from just a few inches to a foot, but the extra “breathing space” can make a big difference for drivers trying to navigate tightly packed parking lots.

The challenges in navigating parking lots and finding a suitable space for larger vehicles are perpetuated by the desire to maximize the number of parking spots available. This often means that some parking lots or garages will overlook the comfort of people parking their vehicles in favor of optimizing the parking capacity. The trend towards “urbanscaping” also aims to reduce parking altogether, which can further exacerbate these issues.

However, there are strategies that drivers of larger vehicles can employ to make parking in crowded lots easier. Taking advantage of isolated parking spots on the outer fringe of a lot, for example, can protect your vehicle from damage and potentially make parking less of a hassle. It’s similar to the advice given by a centenarian celebrating her 100th birthday in a news story, in which she attributed her longevity partly to her practice of parking far from store entrances. By parking in a less crowded space and walking to the final destination, the lady felt that she was able to stay active and engaged, which contributed to her overall well-being.

In the end, a small act of kindness, such as parking considerately in tight lots, can help to improve the overall parking experience for all. The convenience and safety gained from thoughtful parking strategies can benefit the entire community, and ultimately lead to a smoother, less stressful parking experience for everyone involved in the automotive industry.