Insurance News

Hello to all van drivers – I hope you haven’t been boiling in your vans this week as a result of the lovely weather we’ve been having. I also hope that your van is in tip top condition ahead of the summer because the word is that the police are going to be hot on pulling over drivers to check the load in the coming months. With more and more van accidents being blamed on overloading, van insurance premiums are likely to go up as a result of it if irresponsible drivers do not start to pull their socks up, so to speak.

So how can you avoid overloading? Well, for starters make sure that you are only taking necessary tools and equipment with you when on a job and stick within the limits imposed by the van makers. This will help to prevent accidents and keep your van insurance low.

Van insurance can be astronomical today, especially if you have had an accident in the past couple of years or do not quite conform to the criteria that they put in place for their assessments but did you know that there is 5% of the country that insurance providers do not tend to offer quotes for. This was confirmed by one of the major insurers a few weeks ago and leaves some drivers in the lurch. If your van is stored in that 5% of the country though, you could find your business severely compromised.

The 5% of the country that one insurer does not cover may differ slightly from another provider so shopping around is the key to finding van insurance in areas that you may struggle. However, bear in mind that you may have to take further precautions in order for some to offer you a quote, such as installing an alarm or storing your van in a locked garage.

I have to say that I have felt incredibly sorry for van drivers this week. Whether you have your own business and have to go out in all weathers or drive a van for work purposes and have had to keep your appointments, the weather has been far from ideal this week. In fact, there have been a few vans in ditches around here, which has not been good for van insurance premiums as a result. However, a word of warning to all van drivers that insure their own vehicles – you should check your policies.

There have been reports of van insurance providers refusing to pay out this week because drivers have been perceived to be taking unecessary risks on the road. In short, actually going out on the road could be considered an unecessary risk in adverse weather conditions. Just have a read of the small print so you know what to expect should you face any problems.

A major survey by one of the leading car insurance providers has revealed what most motorists already knew – that speed cameras are a major hazard. 81% of the respondents – of all ages and both genders – admitted to slamming on their brakes when faced with a speed camera. This can cause serious problems with drivers behind and has caused many a serious accident. However, if you have van insurance then the repercussions could be even greater.

If you do not have everything in the back of your van completely secured then speed cameras could not only cause problems to the vehicles around you but also to interior of your van and possibly anyone travelling in it too if you stop too quickly and everything goes flying everywhere. Of course, you should be aware of speed cameras and should be doing no more than the speed limit anyway but it is imperative that you secure all contents of your van.

Van insurance premiums have gone up for those renewing their policies in the last few months as a result of inflation and a general increase in the cost of living so most van drivers will end up paying more, unless there are circumstances under which they can apply discounts that were not applicable before like points coming off a license. However, if you are not aware of various laws then you may find that your van insurance premiums are going up even more.

Smoking is a prime example.

According to recent data, more than 7 million drivers are not aware of the fact that smoking in work vans is illegal. Whether you own your van or not, if it is used for work purposes then you cannot smoke in it. If you do get caught then you will automatically get fined, may have points applied to your license and will also find that your insurance is higher because you do have to declare such incidents.

Just remember, work van = no smoking to keep your premiums low!

Most people have heard of temporary or short term car insurance at some point in time, although few drivers may have knowingly used it. Many cire hie businesses have temporary insurance on their cars should you choose to rent one out. Well, even if you have heard of temporary car insurance, you may not have heard of temporary van insurance. Yes, you can get van insurance for any period of time up to 28 days to suit your needs.

There are only a handful of providers offering this type of van insurance at the moment but, as a result of the success of the trials, this is likely to change pretty quickly. Either way, temporary insurance for a van can provide a cost effective option if you are hiring one for a specific purpose or even if you are sharing a van with someone else. Look into it if you want to save a little cash!

The fact us that most van drivers, or car drivers at large, have no clue as to what they are covered for from one year to the next. This should come as no surprise, because how often does anyone have time to read their insurance policy, let alone understand all the jargon in there? However, if you have van insurance then the likelihood is that your business is entwined with your policy and so you absolutely should take the time to find out what is in your policy to begin with.

Most van insurance policies offer a number of extras within them to look after you and your interests should you ever need a little help. For example, most van insurance policies contain a courtesy or hire van provision to make sure that you can stay on the road in the event of an accident. It will also contain windscreen repairs. In addition, most policies now incorporate European cover should you need to go abroad to work and breakdown cover should you find yourself stranded. Make sure that you know what you are covered for just in case.

Van insurance policies are a little more complex than car insurance policies, especially when it comes to insurance for vans usedfor commercial purposes. You will find that they are very specific in relation to the load that a van is carrying at any given time. As any van driver will know, all vans have a very specific weight limit and are allowed to carry no more because it can upset the balance of the vehicle, put too much pressure on the frame and cause a major accident.

The reason why I am remarking on this is the sheer number of vans I have seen in the last week or so with loads that are way too heavy. I counted three on Friday alone on my way to and from the office. However, had these drivers caused an accident then not only would they have been prosecuted but their van insurance would have been invalid so they would have had to pay for any damage caused. Motto – check your load before heading out onto the road.

I have been watching the fireworks from my bedroom window tonight. I love the colours and lights but not the bangs so much! Anyway, it may be a little weird but I was thinking about what to write here and the explosives that are in fireworks gave me a little inspiration. I was thinking about van insurance and those vans that carry hazardous chemicals. Did regular insurance policies cover them or was special van insurance required?

After a little research, I found that most generic van insurance policies did not cover the transportation of hazardous chemicals and the vast majority of policies do not cover vans that have chemicals in them all night. This especially applies to those that provide a home to flammable chemicals. As such, if this is in your job description then you should ask your van insurance provider what cover you can access.