Industry News from Yes Insurance

White van drivers are coming in for some bad press with the release of a new report into how much distance vehicles leave when overtaking cyclists.

A study by Ian Walker from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology found that drivers of white vans left the least distance between themselves and cyclists, meaning they are more likely to be involved in a collision and therefore pay higher van insurance premiums.

Mr Walker cycled more than 180 miles in Bristol and Salisbury over a two month period, being overtaken by around 2,500 vehicles.

His bike was fitted with an ultrasonic distance sensor and a video camera and the results do not paint van drivers in a positive light.

Of the thousands of vehicles that overtook him, 200 were light goods vans and Mr Walker worked out that on average they passed by him a full four inches closer than the majority of cars.

"At the kinds of speeds and distances that cyclists are overtaken on our city streets, reducing the gap between cyclist and vehicle can have life-threatening safety implications," he said.

"More than 2,000 cyclists are seriously injured in road accidents each year, and 100 die.

"If we understood what determines how close drivers get to cyclists as they overtake, we could do something to make collisions less likely, either in the way we construct our roads, or with advice to drivers about how they should drive and to cyclists about how they should ride," he added.

Although the results appear to be a damning reflection on the actions of van drivers, Mr Walker admits it may not be solely down to irresponsible driving.

"Why white van drivers overtake closer is not clear; it could be a range of things, from social or personality factors, to the length and width of the vans, or even the stereotypical machismo of 'white van man'," he concludes.

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