Drivers’ worst habits according to van owners

According to van drivers, car owners are far from blameless when it comes to actions behind the wheel. A survey conducted by Intelligent Car Leasing in 2016 of 1,000 LCV drivers, details some of car driver’s most annoying habits according to van and fleet owners.

Overtaking

The survey found that van drivers get annoyed when car drivers overtake them, but then drive slowly in front of them. From one point of view, it’s understandable that a car owner might get frustrated when stuck behind a larger vehicle as it could be restricting their view. However, when the car owner does overtake the van, the van owner can often find themselves tailgating the car, probably causing equal amounts of distress to the car driver. It’s clearly a no win situation.

Tailgating

Tailgating is a common bad habit among all drivers on the road, in fact many of us don’t even realise we’re doing it, which is where the two second rule should always come into play. It appears that van drivers take great umbrage at car drivers who sit in their blind spot and drive too close as it is not only a danger to them but also to other road users. In this situation, you’d think that a van driver’s immediate reaction would be to speed up, but this is not always possible if carrying a heavy load or valuable items. In addition, if the van owner has a company logo splashed across their vehicle, the last thing they want is to be seen speeding! Car owners should be mindful of this.

Vehicle sizing

Van drivers get agitated by car drivers who think vans are much wider vehicles and react to them differently. Van drivers argue that their van is not much wider than a modern day car and that car drivers should realise this. Modern vans are becoming far more car-derived and although driving a van can initially be a bit daunting for a novice, they should be able to get down a country road as easily as other drivers. In addition, van drivers feel that the higher seating position in a van is actually advantageous when it comes to safety and all-round driving vision, putting them at an advantage when out on the road over car owners.

Parking habits

Van drivers get irked when car drivers park their cars across two parking spaces. Their argument is that it is hard enough to try and find a suitable parking spot for a van, without having to contend with bad parking into the bargain. In addition, a van may need to unload its cargo, so the last thing a van driver wants is to be parked half way down the road. A van driver may well park over two spaces as well at times, but their argument is they need more space for unloading and parking, and that too tight a space could end up causing damage to their vehicle and others.