Almost half (48%) of UK van drivers admitted that they overloaded their vans last year*, according to a survey by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
This figure is despite 89% of drivers claiming to know the legal weight restriction for their light commercial vehicle (LCV)*.
Overloading your vehicle by as much as 30% of its gross vehicle weight could lead to a fine of up to £300, meaning the nation’s van drivers are risking a combined £703 million** in penalties. Anything above 30% overloaded and offenders may even be issued with a court summons and a custodial sentence in the most serious cases***.
The survey found that 66% of young people (aged 18-24) had driven their van overloaded in the year, followed by 63% of over 65 year olds.
Additionally, the survey showed that carpenters are the tradespeople most likely to overload their vans (63%); closely followed by builders (60%), electricians (55%) and painter decorators (55%).