A van driver says he was instantly blamed for a motorway crash because people assume the “white van man” is always at fault.
Michael Hill feared he faced a costly blame battle until dashcam footage showed another motorist had cut in front of him moments before a collision on the A12.
His experience reflects new Ford Pro research showing 59% of UK van drivers believe they have been unfairly blamed for accidents because of negative perceptions around so-called “white van men”.
The study also found van drivers are perceived to be among the most unfairly treated road users when fault is disputed, with almost three-quarters (73%) of drivers saying dashcam footage improves their chances of being found not at fault.
Michael, from Broomfield, says that van drivers are often treated as guilty until proven innocent (Image: Jam Press/Michael Hill)
Van driver says he was blamed for crash due to ‘van man’ stereotype
Michael, from Broomfield, Essex, says van drivers are often treated as guilty until proven innocent.
He said: “I think a lot of people see a white van and automatically assume you’re the problem.
“When the driver of the other car immediately told me it was my fault, I wasn’t surprised.
“People often assume the van driver is to blame before they’ve even looked at what actually happened.
“There’s definitely a stereotype around van drivers that we’re aggressive or reckless, but most of us are just trying to do our jobs.”
The maintenance worker was driving on the A12 when traffic ahead began slowing and another vehicle moved into his lane before braking sharply.
Although Michael hit the rear of the vehicle, dashcam footage later showed the driver had swerved into his lane and left him with no safe stopping distance.
He said: “Once I sent the footage to the insurance company, it went in my favour.
“The footage showed exactly what happened and proved that the assumption was wrong.
“Without the footage, I think there’s a good chance I’d have been treated as the guilty party simply because I was driving a van.”
Michael says the dashcam was the only thing that stopped the crash becoming a costly “he said, she said” dispute.
He said: “Nobody stops to be a witness these days.
“Without clear footage, it just becomes ‘he said, she said’.
“Your witness is your dashcam.
“I would have had to pay the £300 excess before it even got settled.
“It takes all the arguing out of it because the footage shows exactly what happened.”
The Ford Pro study found that 71% of insurance brokers believe a lack of evidence often contributes to disputed claims being settled on a 50/50 basis, even where one party may not have been at fault.
Meanwhile, 73% of drivers believe dashcam footage improves their chances of successfully proving liability, while brokers estimate the technology could reduce insurance premiums by an average of 11.5%.
In a separate incident, Michael helped the police solve a hit-and-run.
He said: “I was sitting outside a shop once and this van pulled out on two motorcyclists and drove off.
“I realised afterwards my dashcam had caught the whole thing, including the number plate.
“The police came round to my house and said, ‘That’s fantastic, we’ve got the vehicle now’.
“That’s another plus of having one.
“It’s peanuts for manufacturers to fit them. “With a dashcam built in, it’s incredible.
“When I have an accident, people scream and shout, but I just say, ‘No problem, the dashcam will show what happened’.