A major new survey focusing on the habits of van drivers has revealed a rather different picture to that of the traditional ‘white van man’.

MoneySuperMarket researched more than 700,000 insurance quotes to find that the demographic of the van driver is shifting quite dramatically. Over 31,000 van owners are retired from actually working, and housewives and househusbands making up a further 14,000 of van insurance quotes. The research shows that there are 48 religious leaders, 18 escorts and one chicken chaser (?!?) who have enquired about insurance with the company. Footballer’s are another surprise profession to enquire about van insurance, with 12 on the list, however whether they are Premier League or League Two standard is not known.

The research also reveals which occupations are likely to have had a pre-existing claim on their record, with property developers top of the list with 1 in 4.2 of that profession having previously had an accident on file.

The most accident prone van drivers however are plumbers and heating engineers, with one in nine claiming from that profession, with company directors second on the list of shame.

"The number of vans on the roads has grown by more than 100,000 over the past five years, but many drivers are unaware that you need a separate van policy - even if you already have existing car insurance,” said MoneySuperMarket’s Editor-in-Chief, Tom Flack.

"This is particularly important if the vehicle is used for commercial purposes, which you must state in the policy. Failing to do so can actually make any claim void in the event of an accident.

"When looking for a van insurance policy, do your research and shop around - there are substantial savings that can be made by comparing quotes and finding a deal that works for you."

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