Low Cost Vans

Calling someone a white van man is not the biggest compliment on earth. After all, the Collins dictionary describes the term as: a male van driver, often of a white van, whose driving is selfish and aggressive. Apparently, the term was created by a Times journalist back in 1997. Twenty years later, the label may still be recognisable by many, but it’s arguable that the white van man stereotype is becoming a little dated. A recent piece in the Telegraph looked at whether the stereotype should be dropped. It revealed that in the first half of this year, there were 100,316 new white vans registered compared to just 24,482 silver vans – clearly white vans are still the most popular neutral colour. Add to this the increase in the number of vans about in general – van registrations saw a 1.8% reach this June - there are clearly a number of white vans on the roads. If the majority were aggressive drivers, the roads would be in absolute chaos! With many small businesses using white vans to car...

We’ve all been there. You don’t know how to get somewhere so your friend suggests you follow them in their car. It seems almost cosy, that link with another vehicle on the road, but be careful because a study has shown that following another vehicle in the car can actually be quite dangerous. The study was carried out in Arizona, USA by undergraduate students. Sixteen participants drove through a stimulated city under three different scenarios: One in which they could choose their own route to a destination A second where they had GPS and could listen to directions A third scenario where they had to follow a vehicle as if it was a friend giving them directions And it turned out that the third scenario carried the most risks. As part of the experiment, the driver following the other car was given a number of decision making scenarios such as lights on the verge of changing. It turned out that the pressure of having to keep up with a car and worry about not getting lost was to blam...

The other night, at a crucial point in my tv programme, the screen went black and the lights went out. At the same time wind howled through the chimney. Clearly, the season of inclement weather is upon us and unfortunately, it’s looking wilder than ever. So although the last thing on my mind last night was getting in the car and going for a drive, sometimes you’ve just got to. Or maybe you’re already on a long journey and the weather suddenly turns. So this week, here’s my top five tips on how to drive safely in windy weather… Be informed As far as possible, check reports before you leave the house. Is there a massive traffic jam due to a road closure somewhere? Or is there a route you could take that would avoid going over a bridge or exposed area? Hang tight It sounds obvious but make sure that you have both hands firmly on the steering wheel - now is not the time to have one hand fishing about in a packet of crisps. Keep your space To keep yourself and others around you as safe as p...

Love or hate your local council, you’re kind of stuck with them and their ideas. Enter the people of Bournemouth and their local council’s drive to reduce congestion by offering prizes to people who commute by car sharing, walking, cycling etc. It’s a six-week challenge lasting from 11September to 21 October and individuals or businesses can sign up. Apparently, the traffic in the area is so bad that it’s possible that it could come to a standstill if the problem gets worse. So, to incentive the locals to do something about it, commuters will record their trips to and from work, with weekly prizes including iPads, Apple watches and cinema tickets. And those companies that do the best will get a £5,000 grant to go towards improving/creating a ‘sustainable travel infrastructure’ at their work. As is often the case, scroll to the comments section of the local online story on this and residents are giving their thoughts about the challenge: “Get rid of pointless traffic lights…” or “we hav...