Van drivers - switched on and enterprising

5th November 2010

Van drivers are the smartest, sexiest and most successful on the road, a study by the insurer Aviva has found, coming top in most of the areas surveyed.

“Gone are the days of the traditional white van man stereotype,” said Nigel Bartram, a motoring expert at Aviva.  “What our research shows is that van drivers are entrepreneurial and responsible. ”Despite the fact they were the least likely to have a degree, half of all van drivers were the boss of their own business, compared to 83% of sports car drivers who work for someone else.

Other findings from the survey of 3,000 road users dispelled the myth that those who flirt from the seat of their sports car are the most likely to secure a date. In fact, more than a third (35%) of van drivers felt their van was an asset when speaking to a member of the opposite sex.

Over 70% of van drivers said they were interested in politics – the highest percentage – and half said they were always reading a book compared with one in ten sports car owners and the majority of bikers who admitted they “hated” politics and “never” read.

After a hard day’s work, the van driver is the least likely to watch ‘reality TV’.  They are more likely to catch a news bulletin or a documentary than anything else on the box.  And with half of van drivers opting to fix household appliances when they break rather than ask for help, they are also the handiest to have at home!