- Research reveals van drivers’ biggest gripes on the roads
- Nearly a third (31%) of van drivers ranked not being left enough space on tight roads as their biggest annoyance
- As motorists return to the roads, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles urges them to treat keyworkers considerately
- Tailgating and vehicles sitting in vans’ blind spots also listed among top bugbears
Milton Keynes, UK – As the UK gets back out on the road, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is urging motorists to treat van drivers – who have been hard at work during lockdown – considerately. Research reveals van drivers’ biggest annoyances, from not being left enough space to small parking spaces.
In a study by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles of 1,000 UK van drivers, nearly a third (31%) ranked not being left enough space on tight roads as their biggest annoyance when driving to work*.
Fellow drivers leaving tight parking spaces or narrow bays in car parks ranked second alongside not being let out into traffic. Over a quarter of van drivers listed being cut up at roundabouts or cyclists coming up alongside their vans at a junction (26%) as the greatest faux pas.
A further 23% of van drivers ranked motorists sitting in their blind spots as the most annoying road habit. To help customers with this issue, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles offer Lane Change Assist – Side Scan as an option. The technology works by displaying a warning signal on the exterior mirror as soon as one of its sensors detects a vehicle in a blind spot during a lane change.
Many motorists will be taking to the roads for the first time in months following the easing of the COVID-19 lockdown, and cycle-to-work schemes have seen a boom in sales by up to as much as 200% in some areas.** Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is urging all road users to remind themselves of correct driving practices to ensure the roads are safe for everyone.
Tailgating was also listed with 21% of UK van drivers listing it as their biggest gripe. Tailgating is in fact one of the most common causes of van accidents on UK roads, causing 10 injuries a week.*** Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is an industry-leader in Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) technology that helps prevent tailgating accidents, offering it as standard across its range of Caddy, Transporter and Crafter.
Van drivers’ top 10 biggest annoyances:
- Not being left enough space to get through tight roads, 31%
- Small parking spaces, 30%
- Not being let out into traffic, 30%
- Cyclists coming up alongside a van at a junction, 26%
- Being cut up at roundabouts, 26%
- Drivers sitting in your blind spot, 23%
- Tailgating, 23%
- Getting trapped in yellow boxes by cars braking in front of you, 21%
- No annoyances, 11%
- Other, 1%
Head of Fleet at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Claire English, commented: “Following a few months where many van drivers and key workers have had the roads almost to themselves when carrying out their vital work, it seems a fitting time to remind all road users to drive considerately and help each other out. Some situations are of course unavoidable, but this survey reveals the most common mistakes and habits that can cause difficulties and in some cases distress on the roads.
“As part of our Working With You promise, we’re committed to improving the driving experience for all of our customers which is why we offer leading driver assistance systems such as Lane Change Assist – Side Scan to help with blind spot monitoring, AEB to help prevent tailgating incidents and even Park Assist, with rear view cameras, to help with even the tightest parking spaces.”
For more details on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ award-winning range of products and services, or to find your nearest Van Centre, please visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.