Tag: Dog Insurance

Dogs, A Van Driver’s Best Friend

Posted on by News Desk

Man’s Best Friend

Dogs…

Or, in this case, a van driver’s best friend.

Recently, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles conducted a very important study.

It concluded that a whopping 41% of you would rather take your loyal canine buddies to work with you.

This is instead of leaving them at home (potentially alone) or even with a trusted dog-sitter.

The Importance Of Restraining Your Dogs

Unfortunately, 29% of you also confessed to not securing them safely in your vans, meaning your pooch may not be restrained properly.

Big deal?

Well actually, yes.

If you plan to take pets on work journeys, you must restrain them properly.

This rule comes from the Highway Code (Rule 57).

This is to avoid accidents that could consequently be caused by your dog (or other pet) distracting you.

You could also be looking at a fine, and above all, potentially nullify your van insurance.

This means that, as much as we might love our goofball pups up in the front seat with us, it’s best to safely secure our dogs in an alternative fashion.

Safe Restraint Options

There are a few options you could try if you haven’t already done so.

For example, use a harness that doubles as a seatbelt or a secure cage or carrier.

Or the ever-popular method of using the boot (as long as you’re able to use a dog-guard).

It goes without saying that whichever choice you make, ensure your dog is as comfortable as possible.

A Cautionary Tale

In other van and dog-related news…

There have been reports of an unfortunate case of a delivery driver spending time at a police station (approximately five hours!) because of dogs.

The police arrested the delivery driver from Wales after someone wrongfully accused him.

Authorities suspected him of stealing a couple of sheepdogs.

In reality, the hard-working driver was actually carrying out his deliveries and found the dogs on the road.

Following this, he tried to get them to safety.

Be Mindful On The Road

So, whether you’re out and about in your van with your beloved dog as a companion,

or if you’ve found a stray and you’re trying to help it, be careful not to be mistaken as a dog thief!

Conclusion

Safety First

Secondly, and most importantly, secure your furry companions safely and keep your van insurance policy valid.

It’s as simple as that.

Whilst you’re here, why not prepare for renewing your premium and have a browse for cheap van insurance quotes?

A Lesson In Dogonomics

Posted on by News Desk

A survey earlier this year reported that almost half of UK van drivers take their dogs to work.

If we consider that there are estimated to be 2.5 million vans on the road in the UK (which makes 1 in 24 of us a white van driver), that’s almost 1.25 million dogs. 

With a total of 9 million pet dogs in Britain, that means that 14% of the entire dog population of the UK are owned by van drivers.

Aww, how cute, right?

But what about looking at it from the other side?

Not only are these dogs getting free travel up and down the country that the rest of us would have to pay for, but some of them are taking an active role in the teamwork at the job sites they are going to. From supervising site operations, or sitting on parcels to make extra space in the van, all of this work is unpaid. 

(They’re taking our jobs)!

The average van driver covers 12,811 miles each year. We know that 1.25 million dogs are on the road, so they are covering over 160 million miles each year, without paying a penny toward diesel. Talk about getting a free ride! Touring the country, and, with the exception of the working dogs we’ve mentioned, barely lifting a paw to help out. Be assure, they are absolutely no bloody use when the M25 is backed up (again) and you need an alternative route, because their paws can’t work the satnav. The freeloaders. 

But do you know there are rules around taking your dog in your van? A dog without a harness, a cage or a dog guard is not only asking for trouble, but it also breaks the Highway Code (it’s Rule 57, if you suffer from insomnia and need something to help you sleep). 

If the worst does happen and you have an accident and your insurers discover your dog wasn’t restrained, it could invalidate your van insurance claim. And if your furry friend gets injured, you’ll also be in need of pet insurance, as any claim for doggy injuries won’t be covered. 

We don’t offer pet insurance, but if you are looking for a great van insurance deal that will be there if you (and your unpaid labour) need it, fill out our short form and save on your van insurance. We think you really should be asking Fido to pay his way too, but we’ll leave that bit to you. 

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