A recent survey has revealed that more than half the numbers of large van motors are not passing their MOT. This has worrying implications for van insurance, vehicle safety and its maintenance.

Some van retailers are working towards tackling this issue by providing low cost procedures for vehicle servicing.

The car provider, Vauxhall, has introduced Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles, which offers a number of options to help customers combat unexpected repair bills. Service and maintenance plans for new or nearly new vans which will cover servicing and wear and tear items for a period of 3 years or 60,000 miles.

Richard Collier, National Commercial Vehicle Sales Manager General Motors UK & Ireland, said: "We understand it's a difficult time for many of our customers so we really want to highlight that there are plans available to help with vehicle maintenance and running costs.

Mr Collier also added: "It's vitally important to keep up regular servicing, not only because of the serious safety issues that may arise, but also because failure to do so may have a negative impact on residual values."

'Inflation-proof' van plan

Customers who use the Vauxhall servicing plan could also benefit from, an inflation proof service plan which will cover vehicles of any age. This plan covers basic servicing costs through a monthly payment plan for no-hassle peace of mind.

Older vehicles can be covered through an extended warranty package, which gives the same manufacturer warranty cover if purchased before the vehicle has reached 5 years old (OE manufacturer cover if purchased under 5 years old or 70 per cent of the components if purchased on a vehicle over 5 years old).

Stephen Latham, the commercial vehicle operations manager, Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF), said: "The MOT failure rate of 44.7 per cent for class 7 commercials (3,000kg - 3,500kgs) seems to indicate that owners of these vehicles do not spend on preventative maintenance and prefer to use the MOT test, spending the minimum on repairs and maintenance to have a road legal commercial vehicle."

Mr Latham continued: "The majority of these failures would not happen if the vehicle was properly serviced and maintained. Twelve out of the 14 fail categories would be covered by good routine maintenance and servicing prior to an MOT test and this would cause less overall expense and down-time for the commercial vehicle owner."

Check your van before you go

In addition, drivers are being advised to ensure that their vehicles are safe for their travels. Van insurance customers are being told that they should be aware of the potential problems that are involved with driving during hot weather.

The RMIF is reminding all drivers to check their air-conditioning is in full working order before setting off on a long journey, because many people are unaware that gases can leak if the systems are not in regular use.

Sue Robinson, the director of the RMIF, said: "After months of winter driving, when trips in the car are often short, long summer journeys can be hard for a car. If a vehicle has not been properly looked after, problems could arise."

She added that car dealers or garages with a good reputation will be able to give vehicles a quick check to ensure that they are ready for a trouble-free summer of driving.

Furthermore, AA Insurance recently advised drivers to make sure their carry out a few basic checks on their van in order to reduce the possibility of an accident during the summer weather and therefore any claims on their van insurance policies.