It’s a familiar stereotype; in the
rear view mirror, six inches from the bumper, is a white
van with a tattooed driver leaning out, shaking his fist
and using some very choice language. But vans aren't just
driven by stereotypical aggressive male builders, they're
also the choice of plenty of other people from all kinds
of backgrounds and occupations.
Leading van insurance broker Gladiator has
revealed that whilst the most common occupation for male
van owners is indeed building, for women the most common
use is by florists and gardeners. And looking at what they
drive, the most popular vans for men and women are the same,
with the Ford Transit and Ford Escort.
Other popular choices for female van drivers
are catering and dog walking, hardly the domain of the over
aggressive tattooed ‘white van man’ that is often
perceived by the public.
Gladiator managing director, Chris Price, commented, “Interestingly,
this study found that 75% more male van owners were registered
as hairdressers than women van owners, and with a growing
number of male van owners registering their occupation as
things such as interior design and upholstery, is it time
that this stereotype has reached its sell-by date?”
Chris continued, “It just might be possible
that the white van is being replaced by 4x4 drivers on the
school run as the motorist everyone loves to hate.”
Issue date: 14th March 2006
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