JANUARY 2019 | 33
Motoring
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
MILLIONS MIGHT HAVE TO
CHANGE THEIR PARKING HABITS
Millions of UK motorists who park on pavements
could be forced to change the way they park.
At present it is only illegal to
park on a pavement in London
with Scotland also pressing ahead,
but Government is now moving
forwards and reviewing the situ-
ation that could ban it across the
rest of the UK.
However, a survey by online
parking portal YourParkingSpace.
co.uk revealed that millions of
Brits regularly park on a pave-
ment, almost 1-in-10 doing so
every single day.
And with an estimated 31 mil-
lion cars in the UK, this equates to
about 3 million cars being parked
on pavements daily.
Pavement parking was also a
weekly occurrence for more than
1-in-20, while just under 1-in-5
admitted they had done it but did
not know how often.
Yet the millions of Brits who
admit to stopping on a pavement
appear to have little sympathy
for fellow drivers with nearly half
wanting to fine those caught doing
it.
The contentious nature of the
issue was further highlighted
in the YourParkingSpace.co.uk
survey which revealed an almost
exact 50/50 split of those in favour
and against a UK wide pavement
parking ban.
Motorists looking to avoid
parking on a pavement can find
driveways through to spaces in
commercial car parks available
to book on an hourly, daily,
weekly and monthly basis at
www.yourparkingspace.co.uk
New Sprinter Is Crowned Van
of the Year At Reader-Voted
Commercial Fleet Awards
The new Mercedes-Benz
Sprinter has been crowned Van of
the Year at the prestigious Com-
mercial Fleet Awards, held last
night (29 November) in the Hilton
Metropole, Birmingham.
Van of the Year was judged this
year by readers of Commercial
Fleet, the van operators them-
selves, who use these vehicles in
their daily work.
The judges commented: “Recent-
ly voted by FN50 leasing compa-
nies as the most reliable van in
the sector, fleet decision-makers
have now voted the Sprinter as
their favourite. The Sprinter is a
high quality, safety-focused and
technology-laden vehicle with
a broad range of options to suit
everyone.”
Steve Bridge, Managing Director,
Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd, added:
“The Sprinter is a true workhorse
that keeps businesses moving,
and we are so proud that the new
Sprinter continues to raise the bar.
Awards judged by van operators
mean so much to us and we’re
pleased to have built a van that con-
tinues to impress the industry.”
VAN MAN’S BEST FRIEND – DOGS ARE
KEEPING OUR VAN OPERATORS COMPANY
The UK’s van opera-
tors are battling loneliness
by taking their dogs on the
road with them for compa-
ny, with more than 200,000
van drivers hosting canine
companions on any given
day.
According to the
Mercedes-Benz Vans
Business Barometer, which
monitors the opinions
on more than 2,000 van
drivers and owners, life on
the road can be a lonely
place for Great Britain’s
professional drivers, with
the average driver spending
UK really
‘ is the
a nation of
dog lovers ’
over 17 hours complete-
ly alone and over a third
(35%) spending at least 20
hours in solitude.
So, with mental health
and driver wellbeing taking
more of a focus than ever
before, drivers are turn-
ing to the ‘Van Man’s Best
Friend’ to raise their spirits,
with one in five agreeing
that their dogs have had a
direct positive impact on
their mental health. Over
half (52%) of van operators
who bring their dogs with
them their vehicle say they
do it simply because it
makes them feel happier.
Those who take their
dogs with them throughout
their work days say they
feel much happier (52%)
and more relaxed (45%).
A third (33%) say their
dog simply helps them
get through their day, and
over half (53%) said having
their dogs with them has
assisted in winning new
business.
Considering the average
driver gets stuck in conges-
tion for up to 13 hours a
day, this friendship is really
making a difference.
Nearly two-thirds (65%)
of UK van drivers and oper-
ators own at least one dog,
with 36% of those having
more than one. Proving
that the UK really is a na-
tion of dog lovers.
www.mbvans.co.uk/
businessbarometer