The size of modern cars

[hanlminiman]

We have all observed that our roads and parking spaces appear much narrower nowadays. Or do they? Rural roads are widened but larger vehicles demolishing the green verges. Possibly even 4x4s on the school runs or even the much wider versions of the MIni/MINI or even the Fiat 500/FIAT 500 to name just two verswions.
But today this image has just appeared on a Facebook feed.

[wantafaster1]

Everything is ridiculous, instead of being clever. Love our MK1 Fabia, for about 20 years they were the only small car that didn't get bigger and bigger, the newest one is terrible though.
One of my bugbears is crash safety, there's little thought put into preventing accidents in the first place given the designed in blind spots in modern stuff

[mab01uk]

One of my bugbears is crash safety, there's little thought put into preventing accidents in the first place given the designed in blind spots in modern stuff

Agree, the thicker pillars in modern cars make it easier for car designers to increase the passenger compartment crash safety. However the thicker pillars also increase issues for driver visibility and the likelihood of things like a cyclist or motor cycle being completely obscured from view...

[Bob46320]

I have often thought that the front pillars could have wrap around "electronic" LCD screens and external camera to prevent the blind spot.

[swifty]

One of the reasons why I absolutely loathe formula 1 , I have no interest at all when they don’t have anything that resembles a steering wheel . They are steering the car with a PlayStation game controller. …. Shirley

[andy1071]

The size of the pillars are controlled by legal vision-angle requirements.
But they are much bigger than they used to be....

I agree there is little thought put in to accident prevention...
I work in the industry, and it's unbelievable the number of people who are trying to make cars 'idiot-proof'.

We should be spending more time educating/teaching people how to drive properly...
Remember the old 'public information' adverts..?
-When I suggested this to a government official I was working with, he said that "you can't change people's habits"...
When people have this attitude, what hope is there....

[johnv]

IMG_20240217_125315.jpg

[Polarsilver]

Cars get bigger .. so why buy a new build house as ""if"" it has a Garage or maybe a designated Parking Spot this gets smaller in size due to developers greed..as does the Local Council Roadside Parking Spot very small relative to todays car size .. then Council can bash the Motorist for Parking outside the lines.. been there & done the appeal no argument accepted these Councils need more income .. what winds me up is the Supermarkets that have designated Parking space size so tight as their stupid Customers park & just throw open the Car Doors & Bash whatever other Car they Hit & this is even before they need to load up their shopping .. the only winner is the Bodyshop carrying out repairs to parking dents.
Last thought Parking on the Pavement .. just another wind up .. here ends my rant :roll
Buy a Classic Mini because they will fit into most any place

[nick@dunsdale]

The two biggest tell's are

1/ try fitting a modern car in a single garage from the 60's or 70's

2/ if you live rural all the traffic lights that have popped up where two car can no longer pass side by side

i will add another the town i grew up in some of the side streets i remember when there used to be cars parked on each side of the street and and traffic could still pass both ways
No chance now only just enough for one car up the middle

https://www.transportenvironment.org/di ... d%20trucks.


.

[hanlminiman]

Nick's point about garage width's in the 1950s & 60s reminds me of my Grandad's priority when buying a replacement car in 1961 - "It must be short enough to fit in the garage." The width of his garage, attached to the side of his bungalow, was reduced so that the coal fire chimney breast was not inside the sitting room. Can still see the carpet tacked to the bare bricks.
He would stop the car before the chimney breast, get out and push the car forward so that it stopped on the wooden wheel stop at the end of the garage.
Funny how memories of our youth suddenly return.

[Old English White]

Only a few days ago, following the sad death of the great Steve Wright, somebody on the radio was remembering his tale about "having a very big car and a very small garage". He said that he could only just get it into the garage but then had no room to open the door to get out, so had to clamber into the back and out through the tailgate I know one or two people who have to stop their car outside the garage perfectly aligned, get out and then push it in the rest of the way - and pull it out again when they next need it Only really works with a relatively light car - and a level driveway.

[hanlminiman]

My grandad's next car was a Singer Chamois which he thought was too small an found it difficult to clamber in to the back and through the hatchback. I did fit in his garage though.

[haynes]

Film 4 is showing the Italian Job later this afternoon, made me chuckle as the desciption reads:

'Crime caper with Michael Caine from when Minis were small'