Do you drive a van for work and if you do are you aware of the effect a full load can have on braking distance? A new survey by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles shows that half of drivers are not and this could be costly as a full load can increase braking distance by more than a third.

Tests by Volkswagen Commercials in the UK found that van braking distances can increase by up to 36% at 30mph, when the vehicle has a 500Kg payload. However, more than half of van drivers are unaware of the impact extra weight has on braking.

VW tested Caddy, Transporter and Crafter vans with various payloads from empty to 500kg. At 30mph braking distances increased by an average of 33% when vans had half a tonne of on board, equal to an extra two metres travelled. At 60mph, braking distances increased by an average of 19%, or five metres.

Carl zu Dohna, director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, commented, “Our customers regularly carry half a tonne of equipment and need to be aware they need to adjust their driving style to avoid having a costly, and potentially serious, accident.”

Supporting the research, Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham Research, said, “We would also encourage van drivers to ensure that loads are well-secured, as movement of heavy items in the rear can also effect stability and stopping distance.”