Automotive and Van Blog
Bringing you the latest news and reviews on all things connected to van motoring.
Vanity leading to motorists taking safety risks
Friday July 09 2010
Van leasing customers have been warned about the dangers of concentrating too much on their appearance while driving. A new study by insurance company Churchill has revealed that a startlingly high number of people engage in potentially distracting activities when behind the wheel. Among women drivers, more than one...continue reading
Ford ready to introduce electric Transit
Friday July 09 2010
Van leasing customers may soon have the option of hiring an electric version of Ford's popular Transit van. The manufacturer has announced that it is participating in the government's Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator programme. This will see energy company Scottish and Southern Energy and several other drivers...continue reading
Fitness First chooses Citroen vans
Friday July 09 2010
Those choosing a vehicle for van contract hire may want to follow the example of Fitness First and consider the range of models on offer from Citroen. The gym chain has opted to contract hire six new Citroen vans, largely due to the excellent fuel economy and low carbon emissions they offer. It has taken delivery of...continue reading
Fleet drivers making avoidable errors, says RAC
Friday July 09 2010
Van leasing customers have been warned about the costly number of avoidable errors being made by fleet drivers. Research by the RAC has revealed that nearly 15,000 days worth of vehicle downtime was amassed in 2009 through damage caused by avoidable driver errors. It claims that, although the number of breakdowns caused...continue reading
Supermarket price war good news for van contract hire drivers
Thursday July 08 2010
Van contract hire drivers could benefit from a new fuel price war breaking out between supermarkets. Both Morrisons and Asda have announced drastic cuts to their pump prices by passing on a drop in wholesale prices to the consumer. From today (July 8th), Morrisons has slashed diesel prices by 2p a litre, down to 116.3p,...continue reading
'Spy cars' catch nearly 200,000 motorists in a year
Thursday July 08 2010
Van leasing customers have been warned about the increasing use of CCTV equipped Smart Cars to catch drivers committing motoring offenses. Statistics from campaign group Big Brother Watch reveal that the Smart Cars were involved in at least 188,000 motoring fines between April 2009 and March 2010. However, the real...continue reading
Motorists face huge bills in digital radio switchover
Wednesday July 07 2010
Those who opt to buy their own vehicle - rather than taking advantage of the benefits of van contract hire - may have to fork out hundreds of pounds to replace the vehicle's radio in the future. The government has announced plans to switch off the FM and medium wave radio transmitters by 2015, to be replaced with digital...continue reading
Infrared night vision breakthrough could improve road safety
Wednesday July 07 2010
New night vision technology could mean improved road safety for van leasing customers in the future. A German research group has developed a new infrared system that could be used in vehicles to allow drivers to see hidden dangers at night, the Daily Telegraph reports. Previously, night vision equipment needed to be...continue reading
IAM offers advice for driving abroad
Tuesday July 06 2010
Van leasing customers may benefit from advice on how to make driving abroad safer and more stress-free. The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has issued a series of recommendations for those looking to take their vehicles abroad this summer. Chief among these is to become familiar with the traffic laws of the country...continue reading
Motorists' data captured by CCTV to be made more secure
Tuesday July 06 2010
Van leasing customers' may not be aware that data about their vehicle's and movements is being recorded and stored on a government database. Home Secretary Theresa May is now calling for data captured by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) CCTV cameras to be more tightly controlled to prevent abuses of privacy...continue reading
Van contract hire drivers supporting toll roads?
Monday July 05 2010
Van contract hire drivers could be among the large proportion of motorists who support a pay-as-you-drive toll scheme. According to figures from Ipsos Mori on behalf of the RAC, a surprisingly high 46 per cent of drivers support the implementation of a system whereby motorists are charged according to how much they use...continue reading
Fleet managers urged to embrace new tracking technology
Friday July 02 2010
Fleet managers making use of van leasing services are being urged to do more to keep an eye on their vehicles and drivers. In a new initiative launched by the Fleet safety Forum, which is a division of the road safety charity Brake, transportation managers are specifically being called upon to make use of new technology...continue reading
Listening to sports more dangerous than drink-driving, motorists advised
Friday July 02 2010
Van leasing customers who listen to sports commentary on the radio are more likely to have an accident that those who get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol, it has been claimed. New research carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory looked into the potential risks facing drivers currently tuning...continue reading
Mercedes-Benz revamping Vario van
Friday July 02 2010
Mercedes Benz van leasing customers are set to benefit from a revamp of the company's Vario. Aimed at meeting the requirements of future emission standards, the German car and van manufacturer is currently working to integrate state-of-the-art exhaust technology into its popular commercial vehicle. Specifically, the...continue reading
Van drivers "increasingly irritated" with poor state of UK roads
Thursday July 01 2010
Poorly-conditioned roads continue to be the bane of van leasing customers the length and breadth of the UK, a new report suggests. With the harsh weather experienced over the past winter having prompted a marked increase in the number of potholes blighting UK roads, research carried out by Autoglass has found that motorists...continue reading
Van drivers "increasingly irritated" with poor state of UK roads
Thursday July 01 2010
Poorly-conditioned roads continue to be the bane of van leasing customers the length and breadth of the UK, a new report suggests. With the harsh weather experienced over the past winter having prompted a marked increase in the number of potholes blighting UK roads, research carried out by Autoglass has found that motorists...continue reading
London van drivers being asked view on parking fines
Thursday July 01 2010
Van leasing customers and other motorists are being asked how much they think they should be fined for traffic offences in London. Forming part of a three-month public consultation being carried out by the city's local councils in partnership with Transport for London (TfL), all road users are being asked their views...continue reading
Van leasing customers in London benefitting from traffic light re-timings
Thursday July 01 2010
Van leasing customers in London are experiencing fewer delays while travelling through the streets of the city thanks to recent changes to traffic light timings. With Transport for London (TfL) having adjusted the timings of more than one thousand sets of traffic lights across the city over the past 12 months, newly-released...continue reading