Vans are a big part of British culture and contribute enormously to the economy and whether we are talking about plumbers or drivers, they face significant loss of earnings should the van be out of service.

This means that adequate van insurance cover is essential for commercial van drivers including builders, shopkeeper, delivery driver, electrician and handyman.

Government crackdown

According to a recent report, uninsured British motorists will no longer be allowed to drive without their car or van insurance and industry experts now say that the proposed crackdown by the government could see many rounded up. At the moment the market is saturated with low-cost van insurance deals available online. Freight Transport Association (FTA) also released a guide this week showing 11 proposed road pricing schemes put forward by the Department for Transport which could mean more good news for van insurance customers.

The latest figures suggest that there are an estimated two million uninsured vehicles on UK roads with Barkerend area of Bradford in West Yorkshire being the worst culprit. As a result, the government has now been forced to take a tougher stance saying it will compare databases containing information on registered vehicle owners and car and van insurance policies in an attempt to track down those motorists breaking the law.

But the police crackdown is not the only thing van drivers should worry about, earlier in the week, motorists who use mobile phones while driving were warned that they could risk being penalised with higher insurance premiums in addition to the fixed-penalty charges.

Insurers maintain that there is a direct relationship between speed and accident claims in the same way that there is an irrefutable link between the use of mobile telephones and claims. Recent reports also suggest that motorists in Scotland were subjected to a police crackdown which could impact on those looking to preserve their van insurance.

According to the Glasgow Evening Times, some 205 Strathclyde drivers were stopped by officials in the region as part of the initiative. However, any three-point licence deduction or fixed penalty fine arising from a crackdown is still likely to compromise van insurance policies, as insurance providers could consider those with a poor road history a risk.

Second offences result in increase premiums

The fact that driving without insurance is considered a crime and has become an endorsable offence with the offence code CU80, insurers will probably take account of it when calculating premiums, AA Insurance warned. As a result, van drivers should be aware that an endorsement is likely to attract a premium increase of around £60 which will remain for three years. While some insurers may ignore a first offence, as they may for a speeding endorsement, they are likely to significantly increase premiums for a second offence.

Recently, AA Insurance surveyed 200 commercial van insurance customers in the UK and found that 59% believe their business would suffer from the loss of their van, while nearly one-quarter said they would lose money. The study also found that 35% of commercial van drivers are women.