21-04-2010

The number of vans on UK roads has increased by 40% in the past decade according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA); this sharp increase has lead to calls from the FTA for increased self-regulation of the van sector. The FTA is supported by some of the UK’s leading van fleet operators and in conjunction with them is looking to establish “a comprehensive and realistic code of conduct that will benefit businesses, the environment and all road users”.

The FTA has developed a “Van Excellence Code”- a code of conduct citing best practices for van drivers - which it hopes will gradually be adopted by all van operators and “set the standard for future working practices”. The code already has the support of leading van makers Mercedes, Ford and Nissan.

It has been suggested that van drivers who follow the FTA’s Van Excellence Code could, in the future, see their van insurance costs fall. By following the code, it is believed by some industry insiders that they would be perceived as less of a risk, so would benefit from cheaper premiums. Van drivers and owners can still save on their van insurance cost in the meantime by using a specialist van insurance comparison site. The van insurance experts at Van Compare have a track record of finding the lowest priced policies for their customers, so van drivers do not need to wait for self-regulation to save money on their van insurance.