Diagram 1 >>>

Load Factor

A car that enters a car park with a heavy load, down on its axles, and attempts to leave unladen, is likely to collide with a cross beam. A flatbed truck entering with a long ladder laid flat, but later repositioned so that it sticks out or up, may face the same problem.

Aerials

Cars with telescoping aerials can pose a problem – going in the aerial is down and nobody notices a problem. As the car leaves the driver switches on the radio and up goes the aerial to intercept the beams and trusses. Whip aerials get under the entry barriers and batter the light boxes and signs.

Roof-racks

Many drivers forget that when they put a roof rack on their car that the height of the vehicle is increased. We have had all the lights in the car park entrance ripped out by drivers rushing to the shops before they leave on holidays. Bicycles stacked on a car roof pose the same problem.

Diagram 2 >>>

Tailgates

Cars and 4x4s with tailgates that open up at the rear pose a problem because drivers forget that there is a ceiling above them! We have all had arguments with drivers who claimed that it was our fault that their tailgate was damaged when they had opened it and let it fly up into the ceiling!

Diagram 3 >>>

Ramps/Low Spots

Most car parks have areas, e.g. under ramps, where cars can park provided the driver is cautious. Some spaces are perfect for cars that drive in but totally unsuitable for cars that reverse in. These spaces need clear warnings/signs for cars and people.

Diagram 4 >>>

Driver Height

We sometimes forget that drivers can be very tall and that, even when a car can fit comfortably into a car park, a tall driver getting out is likely to hit his head against a low ceiling or a cross beam. This is also an issue where structural walls/beams protrude into pedestrian walkways.

Surface Car Parks

Vehicle heights are an issue in surface car parks also. Tall vehicles can block the lines of sight for car park staff, and can offer vandals an opportunity to interfere with cars hidden from sight. We have banned panel trucks from several sites. If a surface site caters for tall vehicles – HGVs, buses etc., where drivers are positioned high above the road - there are issues of access, e.g. to get tickets, or to pay without getting out of the cab. Bewley's Hotel at Newland’s Cross has a neat solution – an intercom mounted on a 10 ft high pole at both the ‘in’ and the ‘out’ barriers.

What to Do

The current practice is to place signs at the car park entrance stating the maximum height of vehicle permitted to enter. Many car parks also erect a restrictor at the car park entrance, which is set at the maximum permitted height. This can also be enhanced by a swinging board, which allows for contact between the car roof and the board with little fear of damage. This however does not address the issues posed by ramps, where the effective height is limited by the length of the vehicle. We recommend that a long high car be carefully driven through the car park and all height hazards identified and signposted.

Conclusion

99% of cars using public car parks do not have any height problems, provided the car park has indicated that there is a height limit, helped the driver assess the clearance under the height barrier and considered the height issues for long high cars at ramps. The onus must be on the driver to accept responsibility for their vehicles and to drive carefully within the car park.