Heavier cars will pay more to park in Paris from September

Paris will introduce significantly higher parking fees for heavier vehicles from September following a referendum on the issue earlier this month.

Vehicles weighing over 1600kg (2000 kg for electric cars) and owned by non-residents will have to pay the higher charges.  

A study by the VIAS institute last year which analysed four years of crash data for Belgium found that in a collision between a car weighing 1600 kg and a lighter car weighing 1300 kg, the risk of being killed increases by almost 80% for the occupants of the lighter car. When the mass is increased by 300 kg, the risk of being killed is 30% higher for pedestrians and cyclists.

Commenting on the Paris move, ETSC said cities should be designed for people to move around safely, especially when they choose healthier, less damaging modes of transport such as walking and cycling. Discouraging heavy, tall and powerful SUVs through higher parking charges is one tool cities can use to make the roads safer for all.