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A new investigation has exposed the most common culprits of motoring offences behind the wheel of vans across the UK.
Analysing data from its van insurance customers, Admiral has revealed which professions are most likely to carry a conviction when driving a van.
After finding that 90% of all van driver convictions are for speeding, Admiral is warning drivers that this can have financial implications, increasing the cost of insurance or making it harder to get any insurance cover which could make running a business very difficult if the van is essential to their job.
But it’s not just speeding that can get them in trouble, Admiral also looked into the number of van drivers caught using their mobile phone behind the wheel.
Despite tighter laws being introduced two years ago, Admiral found that 5% of its van insurance policyholders have convictions for driving whilst using a mobile phone.
The investigation revealed that overall one in 10 van drivers have a driving conviction on their records. Couriers (who drive on average nearly 23,000 miles a year) are the most likely profession to have points, followed by company directors and electricians.
The most commonly driven van for every profession has also been revealed in Admiral’s new van finder tool, including bricklayers favouring the Ford Transit, electricians the Vauxhall Vivaro, and florists a Citroen Berlingo.
Top 10 Occupations most likely to have a conviction
| Rank | Occupation |
| 1 | Courier / Delivery Driver |
| 2 | Company Director |
| 3 | Electrician |
| 4 | Plumbing & Heating Engineer |
| 5 | Engineer |
| 6 | Roofer |
| 7 | Joiner |
| 8 | Lorry/HGV Driver |
| 9 | Builder |
| 10 | Carpenter |
Top 10 van driving occupations with a speeding conviction
| Rank | Occupation |
| 1 | Company Director |
| 2 | Courier / Delivery Driver |
| 3 | Engineer |
| 4 | Plumbing & Heating Engineer |
| 5 | Electrician |
| 6 | Roofer |
| 7 | Joiner |
| 8 | Bricklayer |
| 9 | Carpenter |
| 10 | Builder |
Top 10 van driving occupations with a mobile phone conviction
| Rank | Occupation |
| 1 | Plumbing & Heating Engineer |
| 2 | Construction Worker |
| 3 | Courier / Delivery Driver |
| 4 | Roofer |
| 5 | Joiner |
| 6 | Plumber |
| 7 | Lorry/HGV Driver |
| 8 | Electrician |
| 9 | Company Director |
| 10 | Builder |
“Flouting the laws of the road can have serious implications – not just for the driver but for other road users too,” said Mark Gabriel, Head of Van Insurance at Admiral.
“In addition to receiving penalty points and a fine, convictions can also have further financial implications, affecting insurance premiums or making it harder to get insurance cover at all.
“Many professions, like couriers who feature in the top three for both speeding and mobile phone convictions will be reliant on their van for their job which should be even more of an incentive to drive safely and within the bounds of the law.
“We would urge all van drivers to think twice before they do something that could result in points on their licence.”
