Widespread van overloading undermining tech advances, says SMMT

Advances in van safety technology could be undermined by dangerous van overloading, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned today. Almost nine in 10 (88.5%) of the 2,381 vans weighed last year by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were found to be overloaded, a worse record than the previous year in which 84% of the 3,337 checked were illegal.

Manufacturers are offering increasing levels of safety on the latest vehicles: around a quarter of vans currently on sale in the UK are available with advanced collision warning systems², while three new models launched in 2016 feature autonomous emergency braking for the first time. But for all the benefits advanced safety tech brings, an overloaded or poorly loaded van can still pose a risk to its driver and other road users, adding vital metres to braking distances and affecting handling.

While anyone operating a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) is subject to strict rules under the Operator Licensing regime, this does not apply to vehicles under 3.5 tonnes – in other words, the vast majority of vans. No move has yet been made to extend Operator Licensing to vans, and to ensure this and a potential £2.6 billion³ in extra costs for operators continues to be avoided, industry is keen to see this safety record improve.

SMMT works closely with the DVSA, as well as other industry bodies, to help the van sector stay clear of burdensome regulation. Operators and owners looking to ensure their van complies with weight regulations can refer to DVSA’s handy Van Smart  video guide available here: https://bit.ly/1YF4A33

Gordon Macdonald, DVSA Compliance Service Manager, said, “Overloading continues to be a real issue on our roads, and drivers and businesses need to carefully consider their legal responsibility towards vehicle weight compliance, so we fully support the SMMT’s latest important van safety message.”

For simple, step-by-step guidance on how best to maintain their vans, operators can visit www.smmt.co.uk/vansafety