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Campaigners want to stop 'carspreading' in cities
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)Carspreading - Level 0
An environmental group wants to stop "carspreading". This is when cars are too wide for towns. It causes traffic jams and accidents. The number of SUVs is increasing. There are 10 times more of these in the UK now than 20 years ago. People want higher parking fees for SUVs because they take up more space.
The environmental group said people walking and cycling are more at risk. Walkers and cyclists hit by SUVs are more likely to die. More than half of new cars in the UK are too big and dangerous for cities. Not everyone agrees with the group. One driver said it was unfair to make life more expensive for people who drive SUVs.
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Carspreading - Level 1
An environmental group wants to stop "carspreading". This is when cars get too wide for parking spaces. It causes traffic jams and more accidents. The group is targeting cars like SUVs. These are increasing in number. There are 10 times more large cars in the UK now than 20 years ago. People want higher parking fees for SUVs because they take up more space. The group wants to copy Paris, which tripled parking costs for SUVs. That reduced their number.
The environmental group said: "Drivers are struggling to park because of 'carspreading', while people walking and cycling are more at risk." More than half of new cars in the UK are too wide to park. In addition, people hit by SUVs are more likely to die. Not everyone agrees with the group. The Alliance of British Drivers said it was unfair "to make life more expensive and unpleasant for people" who drive SUVs.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Carspreading - Level 2
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An environmental group in the UK wants to stop "carspreading". This is the problem of cars getting too wide for parking spaces. It causes traffic jams, more accidents, and more fuel consumption. The group is targeting large cars like SUVs. These are increasing in number. A news website says there are 10 times more large cars in the UK now than 20 years ago. People want higher parking fees for SUVs. This is because bigger cars take up a lot more space. The group wants to copy Paris, which tripled parking costs for SUVs and reduced the number of the large cars in Paris.
The environmental group explained that: "Drivers are struggling to park because of 'carspreading', while people walking and cycling are more at risk." It said: "More than half of new cars in the UK are too wide for urban parking spaces." It added: "People hit by larger cars when walking or cycling are far less likely to survive." SUVs use around 20 per cent more fuel than smaller cars. Not everyone agrees with the group. The Alliance of British Drivers said it was unfair "to make life more expensive and unpleasant for people" who drive SUVs.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Carspreading - Level 3
The Clean Cities Campaign (CCC) group in the UK wants to stop "carspreading". It says: "Carspreading is when cars get too wide for urban spaces, causing congestion, increased risk of accidents, and more fuel consumption." The CCC is targeting large cars like SUVs - sport utility vehicles - which are increasing in number. The Sky News website says there are 10 times more large cars in the UK now than 20 years ago. The CCC wants higher parking fees for SUVs. It wrote: "Bigger cars take up a lot more space, but the cost of parking has stayed the same." The group wants to follow Paris, which tripled parking costs for SUVs, from €6 ($7) to €18 ($21) an hour. This has reduced the number of SUVs in Paris.
The CCC explained why it wants SUV drivers to pay more for parking, saying: "Drivers are struggling to park because of 'carspreading', while people walking and cycling are more at risk." The CCC said: "More than half of new cars in the UK are too wide for urban parking spaces, leaving our cities crowded and congested. As cars get bigger, so do the risks. People hit by larger cars when walking or cycling are far less likely to survive." It added: "SUVs burn around 20 per cent more fuel...and require more...battery minerals. Not everyone agrees with the CCC. The Alliance of British Drivers said it was unfair "to make life more expensive and unpleasant for people" who drive SUVs.
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25 online activities | 27-page printable | 2-page mini-lesson
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