- White van man six times
more likely to be caught on the phone than car drivers
- Scots and London van drivers
most likely to commit phone offence
The stereotype of ‘white van man’ is borne out by findings from AA
Van
Insurance showing that van drivers are more than twice as likely to have
racked up motoring convictions than car drivers.
The comparison between car drivers and small-business owning van drivers
insured through the
AA also reveals van drivers are six times
more likely to have been caught using a hand-held mobile phone
while driving.
For all convictions, 15.5% of van drivers have had their driving license
endorsed within the past five years, compared with 7.4% of car drivers.
When it comes to mobile phone convictions, there is a stark difference
between van and car drivers, with 2.4% of van drivers having collected a
CU80* offence compared with just 0.4% of car drivers.
Simon Douglas, director of
AA Van Insurance says: “The significantly higher
number of van drivers’ offences is astonishing but is perhaps down to
the pressure to get between jobs and keep customers informed. But
they’re clearly getting stung for it – not just fines and the risk of
losing their license**, but increased insurance premiums too.”
But a recent study of
AA members in an AA/Populus study revealed that
42% of respondents admitted they had used a hand-held mobile device for
phoning, texting or tweeting.
“This attracts a £60 fine and three points, the same as a SP30 speeding
offence but it could lead to a more serious conviction for careless or
even dangerous driving if a police officer believes you were not in
proper control of your vehicle.
“But unlike speeding, which can be recorded by roadside cameras, a
mobile phone conviction usually relies on the offence being witnessed by
a police officer which is probably why Londoners are more likely to be
caught.”
Mr Douglas says insurers take a mobile phone offence much more seriously
than speeding, even though the penalty is identical for both.
“Our own research shows that on average, offenders can expect their
insurance premium to increase by 9.3% for a single speeding offence and
18.5% if they have been convicted of using a hand-held phone.
“Insurance premiums reflect motoring offences for at least three years
and for repeat offenders, up to five years**, costing up to four times
more than the original £60 fine.”
Speeders in the country, callers in the city?
The South East is where van drivers are most likely to
have picked up any motoring conviction with one in six (17.4%) having
done so within the past five years, compared with 7.3% of car drivers in
the region.
Van drivers in Scotland (3.4%) and Greater
London (3.2%) are most likely to have been stopped by police
and convicted of using a hand-held mobile device while driving, compared
with 0.5% of car drivers in both regions.
Van drivers in the South West are least likely to have
picked up any motoring conviction (14%) or for using a mobile phone
(1%).
Of car drivers, those in the North-West (8.2%) are most
likely to have an endorsement on their license.
Mr Douglas adds: “The greater number of mobile phone convictions in
London is probably because police are more likely to have witnessed
offenders, who may make calls while stuck in traffic. After all,
technically you are still driving, even if you are waiting for the
lights to change.”
Insurers’ statistics anecdotally suggest that using a mobile phone
doubles the risk of being involved in a collision, Mr Douglas says. “You
might accidentally drift over a speed limit. No-one accidentally uses a
mobile phone or sends a text.”
Regional breakdown:
All drivers who have committed an offence within the past five years
|
Van |
Car |
All Convictions
|
Conviction Ratio
|
Conviction Ratio
|
NORTH EAST |
15.3% |
6.8% |
EAST MIDLANDS |
15.5% |
7.8% |
SOUTH EAST |
17.4% |
7.3% |
GREATER LONDON |
15.1% |
6.9% |
SCOTLAND |
17.2% |
7.0% |
SOUTH WEST |
14.0% |
7.6% |
WALES |
14.1% |
7.7% |
NORTH WEST |
15.5% |
8.2% |
WEST MIDLANDS |
15.5% |
7.3% |
UK AVERAGE |
15.5% |
7.4% |
|
Van |
Car |
Mobile Phone Convictions |
Conviction Ratio |
Conviction Ratio |
NORTH EAST |
2.7% |
0.3% |
EAST MIDLANDS |
2.1% |
0.3% |
SOUTH EAST |
1.9% |
0.3% |
GREATER LONDON |
3.2% |
0.5% |
SCOTLAND |
3.4% |
0.5% |
SOUTH WEST |
1.0% |
0.2% |
WALES |
2.9% |
0.4% |
NORTH WEST |
2.9% |
0.4% |
WEST MIDLANDS |
1.4% |
0.3% |
UK AVERAGE |
2.4% |
0.4% |
* CU80 offence: ‘Using a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while
driving a motor vehicle’ was introduced in 2003, attracting three points
and a fixed penalty of £60.
** Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act a motoring offence is
accountable for ‘totting up’ for three years (12 points within three
years normally leads to disqualification); stays on a driver’s licence
for four years and on his or her record for five years. Insurers ask
for convictions gained within five years and may take offences into
account between three and five years for repeat offenders.
|