What is it like to drive a van?

Vans are a useful and efficient way to transport both people and goods from A to B. Fortunately, they are driven in much the same way as a car, with similar engines, handling and safety features.

Vans are often bigger than their car counterparts, which can mean that the driver needs to have an increased awareness of the van’s outer corners for parking and road placement. This may need the driver to adjust mirrors or the driver’s seat to account for this, and to allow additional space for passing other vehicles and changing lanes.

In terms of parking, it can be worth finding a larger space on the road or car park which offers more room.

That all-important safety rating

For people in the market for a new van, you may be looking at a brand-new model or used vans for sale Gloucester – either way, you’d be well advised to have a look at the safety ratings. For all used vans for sale Gloucester, you’ll find the van’s safety rating (vans receive a bronze, silver, gold or platinum rating for safety) on the Euro NCAP’s rating scale

Getting used to your new wheels

The difference in size is usually the biggest change from driving a car and is something that requires a little bit of getting used to. For example, the Ford E-350 van is up to 5 feet longer than the typical sedan. Drivers will need to have excellent awareness of the size of the vehicle they are driving, and good spatial judgement in terms of placing the larger vehicle in the lane.

A key difference in terms of road positioning is that you may need to take corners a little differently than you would do in an average-sized car. Turning too sharply can result in clipping the kerb, whereas turning too widely might endanger the traffic behind should the van stick out slightly in the process.

A bit of practice handling the larger vehicle should be all that’s needed to get on the road!