Many people believe that it’s harder to drive a van than it is to drive a car, and to some extent this is true. After all, you don’t have the same visibility in a van, and the vehicle is larger. But it’s easy to get to grips with van driving when you have plenty of practice and follow some good practice tips. Here are some things to know.
1. Get everything in place
Make sure you have a full driving licence, road tax and the right van insurance in place before you drive. Make yourself comfortable and adjust your seat and mirrors before you pull away.
2. Get familiar with your van
If you’ve recently invested in one of the used vans for sale Cardiff from a van specialist like https://cotswoldvancentre.co.uk/buy/used-vans-for-sale/cardiff/, take some time to get to know the different features in your model, including lights, wipes, radio and heating/AC. You must know where everything is before you drive.
Check the dimensions and confines of the van too. You’ll need to know these before approaching a low bridge!
3. Drive carefully
Focus on driving slowly and steadily, especially if your van is loaded. At 30 mph it takes a heavy van about two metres more to stop than an empty van. At 60mph this distance increases to 5 metres and makes all the difference to your potential for an accident.
Also, give yourself plenty of space and take corners carefully as your visibility is different from when you drive a car.
4. Park with space
Your van is a big vehicle so park where there is plenty of room to move and don’t risk getting boxed in. A proper car park or drive is usually best.
These tips will soon have you well on the way to successful van driving!