It doesn’t matter whether you are hiring a van, have bought one, or are driving one for work, there are a few tricks to ensure you are safe and feel as confident as possible.
Get comfortable
Whether you have chosen a van rental Bristol or are driving for work in London, take a minute to ensure your seat is in the right position and to adjust your mirrors. Comfort is key for long journeys and good visibility will help to keep you and those around you safe.
Know the vehicle
You may have hired a van from a specialist firm such as www.autolynecarvanrental and may have never even sat in a van before, let alone driven one. This is why it is important to ensure that you know how to carry out basic tasks, such as turning on the windscreen wipers, using the lights, and changing the station on the radio. You also need to be aware of the size of the vehicle so that you’re not one of those van drivers who gets stuck under the height barrier at the multi-storey.
Careful loading
Load the van carefully to prevent injury and make sure you use proper lifting techniques when moving items in and out. You can read more about safe manual handling on the Health and Safety Executive website here:. You should also know the capacity of the van to ensure you don’t try to overload the vehicle.
Driving behaviour
Make sure you take into account your van’s performance and load when driving. For example, a heavy load will need more stopping time than a lighter one. A Volkswagen study found that an empty van would take 3 meters less to stop at 30mph and 5 meters less at 60mph. You also need to consider blind spots that you may not have when driving a car.
Time to park
Again, knowing the dimensions of the van is vital when parking. If possible, ask a passenger to help guide the vehicle into space. Also, remember that you may need extra room to open the van doors.
