Van insurance news
11/03/2009

Downturn hits sales of new commercial vehicles

There is evidence that the number of new van insurance customers may be declining, with the number of new van registrations dropping by 58% on last year's numbers.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, comments, "The UK commercial vehicle business is under intense pressure with the slump in UK demand for vans

"These are unique circumstances in which the government must help. We need direct, positive action to give people the confidence to buy now."

This fall in sales comes despite the best efforts of manufacturers to tempt van insurance customers into taking advantage of special credit crunch-bucking offers, with Renault and Volkswagen just two manufacturers that have spent heavily this year advertising cut price van deals. At present most companies are simply unwilling to fork out the money required to upgrade their fleets.

But van insurance customers are not the only UK road users who are currently unable to place high priority on the purchase of a new motor. Just as with commercial vehicles, car sales have been badly affected too. The extent of the downturn has become so bad recently that Chancellor Alistair Darling told the industry that the government must "step in and help".