The Fiesta is a really good example of a car that's ballooned in recent decades. My 2001 Fiesta felt tiny compared to current models. (Yet according to some they're still a "supermini" car!)
Here's how its size (length x width) has grown over the years:
Mk I (1976): 3.57m x 1.57m
Mk II (1983): 3.57m x 1.57m
Mk III (1989): 3.74m x 1.60m
Mk IV (1995): 3.82m x 1.63m
Mk V (2002): 3.92m x 1.69m
Mk VI (2009): 3.97m x 1.72m
Mk VII (2017): 4.04m x 1.73m
(all numbers lifted from Wikipedia)
In old money, that's 8 1/2" longer and 4" wider than the model two decades ago, or 18" longer and 6" wider than they were in the mid 1980s. No wonder they don't fit in some garages!
And a standard parking space, used in many planning / highway department was, remains, and possibly always will be 1.8m x 4.2m
(edit: I can't quite remember the numbers off-hand). Hence the 'garage too small problem' and the 'supermarket car park space too small' problem.
In my area, the council relaxed its planning standard (generally two spaces per dwelling, more for larger dwellings, less for flats). The developers are more than happy to use that space to squash in more houses (= more profit). The buyers don't think about it, just as they don't think about where the nearest school is for the kids they have a couple of years later. Result - brand new housing estates with pavements full of cars.
These things go in phases. My estate was built to the 'two spaces per dwelling rule'. Young families bought the houses and it worked generally fine until all the kids became teenagers, bought cars, now four cars per dwelling with at least two on the pavement. Moving on a few years and the young adults have moved out and there is rarely a car on the pavement. Elsewhere, houses were built with rear parking courts with allocated spaces, which no-one uses as they prefer to bump it half on the pavement directly in front of their house- on the inside of a bend.
Technically, parking on the highway is always 'illegal' (or unlawful or whatever).
Obstructing the highway is always 'illegal'
If the legislation comes to pass, will it actually be enforced in any realistic manner. Scotland introduced a pavement parking ban, has it been used? has it had any impact?
The police set a poor example. I understand the need to just stop the car and jump out in an emergency but I often seen the patrol car doing routine visits (and the CSI white van) bumped half on the pavement.
To my mind, I think it is just the automatic behaviour of the motorist today. I am going to park my car, I must put it half on the pavement to prevent causing an obstruction to other vehicles - or more likely prevent my precious tin box from getting damaged. This happens regardless of road width and/or pavement width.
