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Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category

Drivers tyred of pothole damage

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Van drivers can be perhaps forgiven a little today if their attention is turned to their vehicles tyres. Of course many van drivers spend long hours on the roads of the UK every day, many listen to the radio and for the last 24 hours van tyres have cropped up more than once in conversations on the airwaves.

Hot air

The hot topic over the last couple of days on quite a few media outlets has been the subject of potholes. The very word is enough to send some van drivers into apoplexies of anger. Nothing, especially since the demise of speed traps and cowboy clampers, is guaranteed to upset a working van driver more than potholes. Well maybe vehicle insurance does upset some equally but by and large potholes are appallingly vexing.

Potholes have been at the heart of the nations radio wavelengths this week due to the Governments announcement of an extra £100 million in grants to help local councils mend their patchwork quilts, err sorry, roads. Every van driver and indeed motorist in general, is aware of how badly the weather affected our roads in December of 2010 and so surely we should all be grateful for the Governments generosity to our councils. Not on your Nelly!

£100 million will not scratch the surface

Council chiefs have been lining up to say the extra money is more or less the same amount of extra money they get most years from the Government and so is not extra money at all. They reckon the maintenance bill will run into billions and the £100 million is simply not enough. Van drivers, held up in queues probably caused by a vehicle hitting a rut in the road and losing a wheel, have phoned up in their hundreds to tell DJ’s to tell the councils to get the roads fixed before they stop paying their road tax, meanwhile shares in tarmac producing companies rocket at the same rate as those who produce oil.

Transport Minister Philip Hammond recognised that many commercial vehicle insurance claims are caused by potholes and said the £100 million of extra money would be shared equally around the country; he seemed to ignore one wag behind him who said the extra money would be like pouring cash into a black hole!

Tags: Information, pothole damage, tyre care, tyres, van, Van Insurance
Posted in Safety, commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Government road safety campaign awaits final figures

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

The Government’s THINK! Road Safety campaign is becoming more relevant than ever with many town and county councils across the UK thinking of turning off their static speed cameras. Local Authorities are suffering under the massive budget cuts imposed on them by Whitehall and just like a van driver seeking a good deal on his van insurance they are looking at ways in which to save money.

Unfortunately it appears that road safety may well be one of the early casualties in the scramble to survive, and many charities and organisations set up to improve the public awareness of accidents on the Public Highway are dismayed at the decision to turn off the cameras.

The THINK! road safety campaign has always been keen to promote the idea that everyone is involved in making the roads of the UK safer, not just van drivers and motorists in general but also pedestrians, horse riders, motorcyclists and anyone else who uses the streets of Britain to go about their business.

What is the aim of the campaign?

It started off with the premise of cutting the rate of deaths and serious injuries on the roads of the UK by 50% for children and 40% overall. The campaign took the figures of 1994 as the start line and the end of 2010 has the finishing line. The results will be announced soon and many observers think the target will have been reached.

When cheap van insurance becomes unimportant

It has not been an easy road for the campaign to travel down. They have used emotive campaigns throughout the media to convey the devastation a family feels when they have lost a loved one. They have also aimed campaigns at drivers, pointing out the folly of drink driving and one in particular at a van driver who realised that he would probably lose his job because he had decided to take a chance. The campaign made the most of the fact that losing your licence and seeing a hike in your commercial vehicle insurance was nothing compared to injuring another person or losing your job.

The basic concept behind all the campaigns has been right there in the title, they ask the public to THINK. Statistics show that most accidents don’t “just happen”. There is nearly always a human reason/fault behind the majority of accidents and by taking care and just thinking about ones actions, many accidents can be avoided.

Tags: Advice, commercial vehicle insurance, road safety, road safety campaign
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Van drivers chewing over a problem in Dorset

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

As most van drivers know and are constantly being told anyway, keeping one’s vehicle in tip top condition is not only a safety procedure, but also gives a positive return in economic performance.

We are told by many motoring organisations about the checks van drivers and motorists in general should make before they leave home. Take a look at your tyres, your wing mirrors, and your windscreen to ensure everything is as it should be. Apart from anything else the checks should lessen the chance of an accident due to some failure with the van, which in turn should mean lower commercial vehicle insurance quotes. How many of us would actually think to get underneath the car and check that everything is okay below, and come to that how many of us would know if something was amiss anyway.

It appears that van drivers in the south may well have to resort to making a quick check underneath the vehicle as a new menace seems to be materialising. The latest victim of the new danger was Chris Wood, a carpenter, from Dorset. As Chris set off for work one morning last week, as soon as he applied his brakes before entering onto the highway he realised that the brake pedal had gone straight to the floor and he was in serious danger.

Chris managed to bring the vehicle to a halt and looking back up his drive saw a tell tale puddle of fluid in the middle of the drive. Something or someone had cut his brake pipe leaving the van with a serious problem. Mechanics at his local garage confirmed that the pipe had teeth marks in it and had indeed been chewed through. There have been other similar incidents in the area, with local papers suggesting the growing fox population in the Dorset region could explain the incidents.

Wildlife experts suggest that the likelihood of foxes being the culprits is slim as they would not be drawn under a vehicle as they hunt by sight and smell, however, they do believe squirrels or other rodents could be to blame. Whatever the animal responsible the sight of a van driver wriggling under his vehicle in the early hours may become more common place in future.

Posted in Events, Safety, Van Insurance, petrol prices | No Comments »

When in Rome

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

An increasing number of van drivers are finding their jobs take them abroad, especially onto the continent trading with our EU partners. Any newcomers to this business need to be aware that it is not a simple case of getting a European driving licence and making sure that their commercial vehicle insurance covers them for travelling abroad.

It is now a common sight to see lorries and vans from far flung corners of the world pulled onto the hard shoulder of our motorways being interviewed by our traffic police, as they check to make sure the vehicle conforms to the standards required on UK roads. The same applies in Europe, and drivers from the UK are well advised to check on the rules of the road in foreign countries because some are far from straightforward!

Portugal is a good place to start because one unusual law there may well favour the driver from the UK. If two vehicles are equidistant from a narrow passing place then the biggest vehicle has right of way, note this states vehicle and not driver! Staying in Portugal, traffic police have a nifty addition to their tools for the trade which is not carried by the traffic police in the UK, a card reader. Yes in Portugal one can pay an on the spot fine with a MasterCard or Visa and also be charged a 2.75% levy by the card company as well. The wonders of modern technology!

Staying in Europe but nipping over the border to Spain, any UK van driver hoping to drop off a delivery should be aware that one way streets in some cities require vehicles to be parked on the side of the road where houses bear uneven numbers on uneven days of the month, and on the side of even numbers on even days; what could be more simple…

Estonia is a country enjoying increasing trade with the UK, the capital Tallinn being one of the places to be at the moment, a real tourist hotspot. It is not the place to leave your van illegally parked however, the average fee to reclaim a towed-away vehicle is 6,000 Estonian Kroon about £320.

Wherever van drivers take their vehicle, it will pay to spend a little time researching the highway code of the nation concerned, if possible speak to colleagues who have experience of driving in the country and above all at the very least carry a language phrase book.

Tags: Advice, commercial vehicle insurance, Van Insurance
Posted in Advice, Guides, Safety, Van Insurance | No Comments »

Drive safely whatever the weather

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

One of the best feelings in the world is hearing the driving test examiner say “I am happy to say that you have passed the driving test”. From that moment, one thing is 100% certain, during the years of driving; many different driving conditions will be experienced. A big part of becoming both a skilful and experienced driver is learning the best methods of safe driving when road conditions are far from ideal. While taking driving lessons it is unlikely that all the dangers such as snow, ice, rain, sleet, hail, fog and wind will have been encountered. It is important when the driving conditions are dangerous to know how to drive, not just for the safety of the driver but also passengers and other road users. Van drivers, who are on the road more than most, need to be aware of adverse driving conditions to avoid making a claim on their Commercial Vehicle Insurance Policy.

Fog will reduce substantially what can be seen, so it is important to use the fog lights, drive slower than normal and leave plenty of room between your car and the car in front. If the fog is extreme, the car in front will not always be visible, so extra care is needed as fog will distort ones perception of speed and distance. Always check mirrors more often. Do not increase the speed of the car as soon as your visibility has returned, if the fog is patchy it could return in a few metres.

Rain is the most common weather that will be faced in the UK. When driving in rain slow the speed of the vehicle down. The road becomes much more slippery during wet conditions; one reason for this is the oil on the road will have mixed with the rainwater, which will create a treacherous surface. Like fog, visibility will be reduced. Braking should be done earlier and with less force than normal. Make sure the tires have a good tread and have enough air in them, as under inflated tires can contribute to hydroplaning on wet roadways.

In snow or ice, driving can pose many challenges. Vehicles can get stuck in snowy conditions even on roads you are familiar with, forcing anybody in the vehicle to spend the night on the roadside. In snow it is important to get the speed correct. Go too fast and risk losing control of the vehicle, too slow there is a risk of losing momentum. If the vehicle skids the important thing to remember is don’t use the pedals, just steer, and only use the brakes if the vehicle is unable to steer out of trouble. Normal stopping distances should be doubled or even tripled from the vehicle in front.

In High Winds keep a firm grip on the steering wheel as a sudden gust can cause the vehicle to be blown into another lane. Wind very rarely blows steadily, and a sudden gust can surprise even experienced drivers and remember that the faster the vehicle is going, the further off-course it will drift if a sudden gust wind hits the vehicle. Most affected by wind are high sided vehicles and caravans, but in truth any vehicle is at risk. If the van breaks down whilst on the motorway, bear in mind that any vehicle can be blown suddenly off course and crash into anything on the hard shoulder. In these conditions it is much safer to wait in a safe place rather than wait in the van.

Tags: Van Insurance, Van Safety
Posted in Advice, Safety, Van Insurance | No Comments »