We have all heard of the ‘white van man’ label but just how true is it and how does it affect your business? A study* by AXA Business Insurance and Road Safety Analysis looked at 1.3 million police crash reports and identified considerable differences in the risks posed by van drivers compared to other motorists.

• Van drivers are an incredible 142% more likely to crash while reversing than any other vehicle.
• Van drivers, are 47% more likely to crash because they are closely following or tailgating another vehicle.
• Even when they’re parked up, vans appear to be more of a crash target – by more than 40 per cent when compared with other vehicles
• Van drivers are also reportedly 23% more likely to be involved in a crash due to tiredness.

Richard Owen of Road Safety Analysis explains “We have to remember that while HGV drivers get rigorous additional training for driving a specialist vehicle, almost anyone can get behind the wheel of a van. Common manoeuvres such as changing lanes, reversing and parking are considerably more demanding in a much larger vehicle. We’ve all been taught to reverse a car; but in a van, visibility is restricted and the dimensions are very different.”

Tiredness, “observation errors” and long-distance motorway driving also came out as worryingly higher risks for van drivers. Longer hours on the road overall, pressure from employers to meet tight deadlines and skipping breaks to “get on with the job” – all contribute to fatigue.

Added to that is a low awareness among employers of their responsibility to prevent fatigue. For instance, if a fatality occurs, the employer can be held criminally responsible under the Corporate Manslaughter Act. But according to AXA many small business owners are unaware of this liability.

Our top tips:

The driver

• Assess your employee’s driving skills
• Consider driver training – it can prevent accidents and improve fuel efficiency
• Validate and regularly check your drivers’ licenses

The vehicle

• Service vehicles regularly and keep maintenance records
• Ensure all vehicles are safe and fit for purpose
• Encourage employees to check tyre pressure, ensure lights work, check oil and water levels
• If your staff are using their own vehicles for company business check they have the appropriate insurance cover. Remember, the business has the same responsibility when drivers are using their own vehicles; this includes those in receipt of a cash allowance in lieu of a company car.

The journey

• Ensure your drivers are having the correct amount of breaks
• Drivers should not be encouraged to speed to complete their work-load
• Telematics and/or on-board video technology can be very effective tools to improve fleet operating costs and utilisation

No matter how many vehicles you operate, it is important to implement a robust, documented fleet risk management strategy to protect your employees and your business.

*Road Safety Analysis and AXA Business Insurance analysed all injury crashes that were reported to the police between 2008 and 2012. The overall sample size was 1.34 million motor vehicle crashes reported to police during this period – an average annual sample size of 13,032. To obtain the findings, reports for injury crashes involving van drivers were compared against those for all other motor vehicles.