Two-thirds of motorists (65%) say modern cars are too big for multi-storeys – and 45% have been ‘stuck’ in their car because there is not enough room to open the door.

A third of drivers say they’ve scraped their car when using a multi-storey

Research from Startline Motor Finance also showed that 34% have scraped their car when using a multi-storey and 28% have dented the car in the next space when opening their door.

The questions were prompted by recent research in Which? magazine that showed more than 161 new cars on sale were too big for a standard car parking space

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “Many multi-storeys still in use were built in the 1960s, 70s and 80s when cars were simply much smaller than they are today. Vehicles have grown substantially thanks to increased safety and comfort measures in the intervening years, and our research shows that drivers don’t feel they can drive around car parks easily as a result. The fact that many simply can’t get out of their cars once they are parked shows how bigger cars and undersized parking spaces just don’t match.”

The Startline research, which surveyed 336 consumers and 60 dealers for its monthly Used Car Tracker report, also showed that 71% of people think that car parking spaces should be made bigger, 65% that modern cars are too big for car parks, and 54% that only cars below a certain size should be allowed in car parks.

Burgess added: “Sadly, there is no easy solution to this problem. Cars are unlikely to start to become smaller any time soon, while rebuilding hundreds or thousands of car parks across the country is just as unlikely.”