Snow plough ploughed straight into a garden

Being in a vehicle that’s a bit larger and weightier than most cars – especially with the tools at the back – I’ve always felt that as a van driver I have to be even more careful than other road users in icy or snowy weather.

However, one snow plough driver didn’t manage to manoeuvre the roads as carefully as he should have while on the job in Balloch, Scotland.

While trying to make the tarmac safer for other motorist, the snow plough slid down a hill and careered into a woman’s front garden and her neighbour’s car.

The lady explained, “I heard a loud bang, and thought, this sounds close. I looked out of the window and there was a snow plough sitting in my garden. It had bashed into my next door neighbour’s car, then through the dividing fence and completely taken out the top half of my garden.

“I could see two shocked men in the plough. They opened the doors, and the driver got out and fell on the ice before they came over.

“It was just me in the house, but they did their best to help and gave me a number to call, reversed the plough and left.”

Luckily the men seem to have been apologetic, and representatives of the Highland Council have since visited the woman’s home to tell her that they will rebuild her garden, however the fate of the damaged car has not been reported on.  

Photo © Will Merydith via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Proud to be a van driver

Recent research by a commercial van insurer has shown that 53% of business van drivers enjoy driving their van more than their private car. Reasons for this included:

• It makes me feel more authoritative on the road;
• I feel safer because I can see more of the road due to my van being higher than my car;
• I have more space in my van than my car;
• I don't worry about scratching it as much as my car
• I like being known as a 'van driver'.

I have to say that I agree with the majority of these reasons, I like having the space and being able to see over the tops of other road users, and I’ll admit to not taking as much care when parking near a bollard or a wall.

I feel free in my van, and that’s why I make sure that I get the best commercial van insurance possible for it so that I can keep driving it and make sure that I’m covered for any accidents.

One of those behind the research stated, "The results of the survey are quite surprising. People naturally think that if given the choice of driving a van or a car, the majority would prefer a car, but clearly this is not the case for van drivers. It seems that once a van driver, always a van driver.

Well said, Sir. I am a proud van driver through and through.

Photo © Eric Kilby via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence