New Government plans could force van drivers to take a vocational qualification

A new Government proposal has outlined plans to make it mandatory for people who drive as part of their job to take a vocational qualification to help improve safety on UK roads. The proposal has been supported by Skills for Logistics, the Sector Skills Council for the UK’s freight logistics industry. Skills for Logistics believes that the qualification could help reduce the number of road accidents which occur in Britain each year. If the idea goes ahead it would affect around 3.5 million van drivers UK wide.

The Chief Executive of Skills for Logistics, Dr Mick Jackson, highlighted the benefits of a vocational qualification claiming “better driving standards will help reduce accidents and bring all of the economic and efficiency gains which come with advanced skills”. The qualification would not only focus on teaching safer driving, but would also train van drivers to drive in a more fuel efficient manner, leading to benefits for both employers and the environment.

If the qualification is introduced and succeeds in its aim of reducing accidents, business owners could see the cost of van insurance fall. In the meantime, make sure that your company has the cheapest van insurance available by speaking to Van Compare, the specialist van insurance comparison site. Our team compare van insurance quotes from top UK insurers to find you the cheapest van insurance.