Wider cars mean increased chance of country road scrapes, insurer warns
Insurance firm Direct Line warns drivers could be at an increased risk of damaging cars on country lanes due to notable increased in width in the last
The increasing size of cars is pushing up the chance of accidents on country roads, an insurer has warned.
Research from Direct Line Car Insurance has shown an increase in size for the best-selling cars on sale today which had predecessors on the market in 1998, with the firm warning drivers to be more attentive in order to avoid accidents on narrow roads.
The data — which analysed the Ford Fiesta and Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Corsa, Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, Peugeot 206 and 208, Nissan Micra, Renault Clio and the Fiat Punto — revealed an average increase of 24mm in length, 18mm in width and 5mm in height.
Nissan’s Micra has experienced the greatest amount of growth with a 22 per cent width increase — from 1.59 metres to 1.94 metres in the two-decade period.
Rob Miles, director of car insurance for Direct Line, said: “This research shows that car shapes have changed dramatically over the past 20 years, though roads remain the same width, so it is becoming harder to manoeuvre modern cars on Britain’s roads.
“With the size of cars increasing, manoeuvres and parking may become more of a challenge. Bumps and scratches happen to even the best drivers, so motorists need to make sure their insurer covers unforeseen accidents. Motorists who do accidentally hit another vehicle should always make sure to leave their contact details.”
