UK insurer Swinton Commercial has just done a new survey of 1,200 van drivers about what they consider the ultimate must-have accessory for commercial driving.
The result? Satellite navigation (sat-nav) systems are indispensable to 38% of those surveyed, and that when on the job, practicality trumps pleasure. MP3 stereos ranked first with only 20% of the vote, and good company came in with only 15%.
According to Swinton, the top five driving essentials in descending order are:
- Sat Nav 38%
- Mobile Phone 24%
- MP3 Stereo 20%
- Good company 15%
- Flask of Tea 3%
Swinton Commercial’s Phil Moss, Commercial Vehicle Manager, elaborated, “Although the sat-nav has taken some recent flack due to stories of it leading drivers astray, it is an essential piece of technology for any van driver who travels with his job.”
Moss added, “The sat-nav market used to be dominated by one or two systems such as Tom-Tom and Garmin, but nowadays drivers have a wide range of choices available and are able to select models which can alert them to traffic jams or speed cameras, helping reduce the chance of accidents and subsequently lower insurance premiums.”