Tag: white Ford transit van

Transit Drivers, Get Ready for Smart Mirrors

Posted on by News Desk

 

Why Ford’s New Smart Mirror Is A Game-Changer For Van Drivers

When you’re behind the wheel of a van, you often have a limited view behind.

Even with side mirrors, there’s always that lingering question: is something lurking just out of sight?

Whether it’s a cyclist, a pedestrian, or a car sneaking up behind, these blind spots create real challenges.

But here’s the good news:

Ford has developed a solution to make driving safer and easier.

They call it the Smart Mirror.

Meet The Ford Smart Mirror

Ford’s Smart Mirror is designed specifically for their Transit vans and Transit Custom vans.

Unlike regular mirrors, this one shows a live video feed from the back of your van.

You might ask, why does this matter?

Most vans have limited rear visibility—especially when loaded with cargo or missing rear windows.

Blind spots can make driving tricky, especially for van drivers.

With the Smart Mirror, you’ll see exactly what’s behind your van in real-time, giving you peace of mind.

How Does It Work?

The Smart Mirror replaces the standard rearview mirror with a digital display.

A camera mounted on the van’s rear door sends a live feed directly to the mirror.

This setup allows you to monitor everything trailing behind your van without obstructions.

Even if your van has opaque rear doors or a packed cargo area, the view stays clear.

And there’s more.

Automatic Brightness Control For Any Time Of Day

The Smart Mirror adjusts brightness automatically.

This means no more struggling with glare from the sun or dim lighting at night.

You’ll always have a clear view, whether it’s daylight or dusk.

Twice The View Of A Standard Mirror

Ford’s Smart Mirror offers double the visual range of a typical rearview mirror.

This increased range means more visibility and a better sense of your surroundings.

And when you’re aware of what’s around you, you can drive with more confidence.

What’s The Cost Ff Enhanced Safety?

Like any advanced tech, the Smart Mirror isn’t cheap.

If you’re interested, be prepared for a price tag of around £675.

Yes, it’s an investment, but for the added safety and visibility, many drivers may find it worth every penny.

How To Save On Van Insurance And Upgrade Your Safety

Considering the Smart Mirror?

You might want to start by reducing other expenses—like your van insurance.

With savings on insurance, you could invest in this cutting-edge mirror, adding an extra layer of safety to your daily drive.

Safety on the road starts with visibility.

And with Ford’s Smart Mirror, you’ll have more of it than ever before.

Save on your van insurance costs with us here, and perhaps you can use the rest of your savings on a brand-new sparkling Smart Mirror.

Return Of The White Van Man (On Tour)

Posted on by News Desk

“The Inspector wants to talk with you,” I said to the boss over the phone as I sat there in a French Police Station. I handed over the phone.

“This IZ Chief Inspector speaking on the pheun,” the inspector said.

Wait a minute, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to the start shall we.

It all started when we arrived in Paris in search of The White Van Dog if you remember.

The smell of French bread lingered in the air and the sights of accordion players with meenky’s (collecting the cash) made me feel like I was now in France. And I was.

I was with Chang, a freelance photographer from Beijing, who had moved to the UK a few years earlier to “photograph vans.”

He seem a bit awed by my presence. I was a CNR after all, while he was still basically a trainee. I liked him though.

“Always be on your guard Chang. That is the secret of excelling in the type of job we do. You never know what to expect next.”

Unfortunately, our afternoon spent walking around the streets and parks of Paris proved to be fruitless.

“No White Van Dogs today,” I said to Chang as we made our way back to the apartment.

The phone line at the apartment went down, and my phone had ran out of battery, with my charger still back at CVI HQ.

So communication with the boss was not possible, but at least it allowed me to focus 100% on finding The White Van Dog, without any distractions.

However, The White Van Dog proved to be elusive. Maybe she sensed I had arrived, and was now in hiding.

Or perhaps it was because I wore white gloves with “CVI” on one hand and “CNR” on the other.

It was obvious to me that I stood out like a sore thumb. I needed to be smarter so I hatched a cunning plan…I would wear a disguise.

So the next morning I dressed as a French Balloon seller, complete with a assortment of balloons to make my disguise even more authentic.

My plan was to head towards the local park and just observe, under the cover of my costume.

As I was leaving the apartment I bumped into Chang and he seemed startled.

“Who are you?” He said, in shock at seeing an intruder, no doubt.

“Relax Chang, It is me, the CNR,” I said as I lifted my cap and made my face more clear from behind the balloons.

“Ahhhh!” he said, knowingly.

10 minutes later and I was walking towards the local park when I heard a familiar sound…

“You What Mate?” The voice said.

I turned around…and right there on the road was a White Ford Transit Van…with a “white van man” arguing with an inspector of the French Police.

“Have these tools been robed?” the inspector said very loudly.

The white van man snapped…anger, rage, discontent…all rolled into one.

“Return of the white van man…on tour,” I said to myself.

4 Tips to Protect Your Van

Posted on by News Desk

I arrived back at CVI HQ the following morning and there was still no word from our CNR. No calls, no texts…nothing.

So there he was…out there in Paris, France, getting up to some kind of shenanigans, and here I was…at HQ with no news stories to run.

“When you have no news, it’s time to pull out the tip articles,” I said.

4 Tips to Protect Your Van:

Tip 1 – Start with the basics

Yes van criminals might be crafty these days and they might leave you in awe with moves such as “the peel and steal” – but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the basics.

Make sure all of your van doors and windows are locked every time you leave the vehicle. Remember, these van hoodlums only require a few seconds – in and out – and then they are gone. The perfect crime…but it is YOU that does the time.

Tip 2 – Get the right van insurance

In my opinion, the first line of defence in protecting your van is with insurance. Not just any old insurance either. You only want the best van insurance…and the cheapest.

We are not called “The Nations Favourite” for nothing. Thousands of van owners are choosing us and our 3 minute form, and then arming themselves to the teeth with van insurance.

Tip 3 – Get grilling

What is the soft point of any van? The windows of course. Van gangs rub their gloves with glee when they see a window that is ripe for the picking.

The solution? To grill. No, not grill some cheese on toast…what we are talking about here is grills that fit to the window and offer an additional layer of protection.

Think of the grill as kind of like prison bars…only you want to keep the criminals out, rather than in.

Tip 4 – Don’t park here

Imagine a van scally walking down the street and eyeing up two identical white Ford transit vans. One van is out in the open, like a gazelle minding its own business right before a pack of lions strike. The other van is parked with its rear up against the wall, with no access to the rear unless you move the van.

Which van will the scally go for? I reckon it would be the first one, because he could easily get access into the rear and then do what he wants.

The lesson here: Always secure the rear of your van against a wall, or railings, or another vehicle…especially when you are in areas where van crime is…

Just then the phone rang.

“Hello,” I said.

“It is me,” he said.

“Where have you been?” I demanded to know.

“I am in French jail, I was arrested for not having a lisonce.”

“A license? A license for what?”

“A lisonce for selling balloons.” He said, matter of factly.

“Why on earth were you selling balloons, You are supposed to be there…”

“The Inspector wants to talk with you,” he interrupted.

The Truth About White Van Men

Posted on by News Desk

After the Dundee fiasco I found myself relegated to the office. A desk jockey, counting paperclips and making endless cups of tea.

I felt like a retired boxer in that office, although I could still smell the leather and hear the roar of the crowd.

As a CNR my natural instinct is to be out there…on the streets…in the action.

Maybe I had one more “prize fight” left in me? Let’s wait and see…

Just then the boss came into my office.

“Our approval rating has gone down 7% in the last 5 weeks among white van men. Research suggests it is your “Cardiff news story” that has led to the drop,” the boss said.

“I was just telling the truth,” I replied.

“Maybe…but white van owners are our bread and butter. I need you to write a piece that puts them in a favourable light. Don’t blow smoke up their rear van doors…just make the white van community look good,” he said.

And with those words the boss walked out of the office.

So here I am right now. Tasked with the assignment of making our nations white van owners look good. Maybe if I do a great job then CVI will get me a new limo and limo driver? I got to work.

The Truth About White Van Men

A common misconception about white van men is they are all dangerous drivers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, during research in 2014 it was discovered they are 50% less likely to be involved in an accident than car drivers.

Another myth about white van drivers is they drive aggressively and get frequent road rage. This is false, or at least, false in the sense they don’t drive any more aggressively than any other road users. There is no evidence to suggest that white van men are anymore prone to road rage than car drivers, motor bike users or cyclists.

One particular false accusation is that white van “men” are all male. Not at all, and just like we have reported about before on our Cheap Van Insurance Blog…it is the white van “women” who are currently taking to the roads in their white Ford transits and LCV’s.

Yet another myth is the belief that white van men get cheaper van insurance than other van owners. Not true. The most important factor is your location. For example, if you own a blue van in Dundee, then you will most likely pay less than a white van owner in London.

The main reason why many white van men pay less for van insurance is because they have made CVI their home.

They fill in the 3 minute form and let us do the hard work. Around 40 quotes later and they find what they are looking for.

“CVI really is the website for white van men,” said white van men all around the country.

Summer of Scam – White Van Men Unhinged

Posted on by News Desk

Unchained, unleashed and….unhinged? That is the word on the street of where white van drivers are right now.

We wanted it to be different. Only a few weeks ago everyone here at CVI HQ, well, we all joined hands and sang Mariah Carey songs in honour of White van men.

Our reporter was given a stern telling off with strict orders to stop the outrageous headlines when it came to our nations white van owners.

However…reports of white van mayhem kept on piling up on the desk. The phone rang around the clock and every way we turned there seemed to be more stories about the white van man becoming unhinged…yet again.

“We can’t hide the truth forever,” we said. So the only option was to give the truth torch back to our chief news reporter who was in Somerset covering a story about lampposts.

Over to the reporter…

Hi, It’s the chief news reporter from CVI.

After the humiliation of being made to sing Mariah Carey songs I had been relegated to reporting on vanilla stories in the van world – I was on my way back to HQ after a visit to Somerset when a text came through to my Motorola from HQ.

”White van drivers unhinged…tell the truth…” said the text.

Those are the only words I needed to hear.

“Turn the CVI limo around,” I said to the driver, “and head towards the action…”

The first stop on our tour was to the city of Edinburgh, North of the Border. It was there I came across a story of how a white van man had been caught speeding twice, but then, doctored photos of his van and sent hoax images to Edinburgh police.

“The summer of scam,” was the first words I wrote in my notepad.

This particular white van owner eventually got caught, and is now serving 6 months behind bars for his trouble.

“Next stop…Sunderland,” I said to the CVI limo driver, and in a few hours we arrived South of the Border to the North East English city.

It was there I learned of an incident that happened recently, involving a…yes, you guessed it…white van man!

This guy from Sunderland “borrowed” his mates white Ford transit van while high on Puff, the magic dragon, and then played “hogs of the road” for 60 miles, leaving behind him a trail of destruction.

Police eventually caught up with him, and he was recently sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work, 15 rehabilitation days and £85 quid in court costs.

I was going to interview some witnesses in Sunderland that witnessed the rampage but then I got another text from HQ…”go to Bedfordshire,” were the words on my Motorola.

So the CVI limo was back on the road yet again and once in Bedfordshire we learned of yet more white van mayhem.

This time a white van ploughed in the wall of cottage in a quiet village, although the white van man himself was far from innocent.

“Coked up!” is the words I wrote in my notepad after interviewing witnesses to the event.

The driver was high on on his own supply as he drove the Citroen Berlingo directly through a hedge and into the wall of a cottage.

Police caught the driver, and he has since been sentenced to 14 months in the slammer.

I’ve just got another text through from HQ. It looks as though this is going to be a busy summer.

“Drive me to Cardiff,” I’ve just said to the CVI limo driver.

Stay tuned for more updates…

Van Driver Surfs Internet While Driving

Posted on by News Desk

One thing every van driver should be doing is keeping both hands on the wheel and their complete focus on the road. Not surfing the internet.

Not every van owner seems to have got this memo however, as a lot of drivers whip out their smartphones and then start checking Facebook and posting selfies on Instagram.

Take the recent story of a man driving a white Ford transit van in Surrey, who caught the attention of Police sitting in an unmarked vehicle. Why did he catch their attention? Because he wasn’t watching the road, he was looking at his smartphone instead.

What really takes this story to the next level is the fact that once the Police started flashing their lights and telling him to pull over, he decided to try a getaway by speeding off.

This led to a short pursuit, but eventually the van driver came to his senses and decided that it wasn’t worth an appearance on Britain’s Most Wanted over looking at some websites on his phone.

We can only wonder what type of sites he was browsing when driving around the streets of Surrey…perhaps this website, Cheap Van Insurance? It definitely would make sense if he was after cheap quotes for his white Ford transit van, but it was obviously the wrong time to be doing it.

I would just like to take this opportunity to remind all van drivers that when it’s time to visit the nations favourite van insurance comparison website, make sure you do it when not driving your van.

The best place is while relaxing at home if you ask me, where you can put your feet up and then use your laptop or tablet to fill out the simple 3 minute form.

You could also park up your van and turn off the engine and then visit this website using your smartphone. Just make sure you are not on the road and driving because the Police are looking out for offenders, and they only need the smallest excuse to go after van drivers.

The punishment for this particular van driver from Surrey who was caught surfing the internet? £250 in fines and 6 points on his licence. Not exactly ideal is it, especially when you consider that another 6 points and he loses his licence.

Not only that, but the van insurance companies also take note of any points on your licence, and are less likely to give you cheaper quotes when it comes to time to compare.

I’m sure the van driver from Surrey is going to be careful in future and hopefully there won’t be a repeat performance.

This goes for all van drivers around the UK…don’t surf the internet while driving, even if it’s to visit Cheap Van Insurance to get a quote. Wait until you are off the road or back home, otherwise the Police are going to be after you.

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