This content was provided on behalf of AXA Insurance

YOU’RE driving down the road minding your own business when in the rear view mirror appears a van.

Suddenly it’s right behind you, with a mere few feet between your two vehicles.

After stalking you impatiently for some time, the van accelerates past and onwards to its destination.

It’s the kind of aggressive, inconsiderate, and downright dangerous driving we can all attest to having seen at some stage.

A recent report from AXA, the insurers, and Road Safety Analysis, highlights some numbers that would support the hypothesis that van drivers are in some way more dangerous than their car driving counterparts.

Called ‘The Unluckiest Van”, the report reveals the following.

• Van drivers are 47% more likely to crash while tailgating than other road users.
• Van drivers are 142% more likely to crash reversing than car drivers.
• If you drive a van you’re 23% more likely to crash of tiredness than other drivers.

Given than the number of van drivers on Britain’s roads has been rising more than 2.5 times faster than cars, this is a trend likely to continue.

What this report reinforces is the need for caution when driving.

It may seem obvious to some, but seemingly not to others, that reversing a van with obscured rear windows may increase the likelihood of an accident.

Nor is it particularly surprising that van drivers, who typically work long hours, perhaps doing a tiring and repetitive task, as more likely to get into an accident due to lack of sleep or exertion.

However, these findings do not give other road users carte blanche either. There are many accidents involving tired car and lorry drivers and there are, unfortunately, huge numbers of accidents involving young drivers. So while this is an interesting analysis and a point for discussion, what we have hear is a reminder that road safety has a long way to go.

You can watch the video here on AXA’s website or download the entire report as a PDF from Road Safety Analysis.