REVEALED: UK’s safest city for van drivers

• Van drivers in Belfast are the least likely in UK to have an accident,
• London van drivers make the most claims
• Newer vans are more likely to be involved in an accident than older vans
• Van theft most likely in London, Yorkshire and the West Midlands
• Builders beware! Builders, Carpenters and Company Directors more likely to be a victim of theft  

Belfast has been crowned the safest city in the UK for van drivers, according to new investigation from Admiral Van insurance with van drivers in the Northern Ireland capital the least likely to be involved in a road accident.

Analysing data from its van insurance customers for incidences of theft and claims for accidents, Admiral has revealed how likely van drivers in cities and regions across the UK are to make a claim.

With over 4.1 million vans on UK roads, and a 26% increase in the last 10 years more vans are being driven than ever before. To help those buying a van identify the best model for them, Admiral has created a new tool which reveals the makes and models typically chosen by people of the same profession.

Van drivers in Belfast, Inverness and Dumfries & Galloway are the least likely to make a claim for an accident according to Admiral data.

Meanwhile, all ten top spots for van drivers most likely to claim for an accident are taken by areas in and directly neighbouring London, making it the van accident capital of the UK.

Outside of Greater London, St Albans, Maidstone and the Isle of Man are the most likely places for van drivers to claim for an accident, all falling within the top 20 places where drivers are most likely to make a claim.

Regionally, van drivers in Greater London are the most likely to make a claim for an accident, with over 17% having made a claim. Van drivers in the South East and South West were second and third most likely to claim for accidents.

Drivers in Northern Ireland are least likely to make a claim, with less than half the volume of drivers suffering an accident as those in London2.

As part of the investigation, Admiral analysed the age of vans involved in accidents and found that vans less than a year old were the most likely to be involved in an accident, compared to vans over 10 years old which were the least likely to be involved in an accident.