Drive Your Van With Pride Throughout September' Vans United.co.uk, the UK's leading commercial van-buying website, is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the term that bought notoriety to the UK's van drivers with a call to action for all Van drivers to drive with pride throughout September.

The phrase was coined in 1997 by BBC Radio 2's Sarah Kennedy as a reaction to a rather stressful drive to work at 4am when she was cut-up' by the driver of a white van. The term secured immediate notoriety and appeared in the dictionaries the year later - the derogatory definition creating a strange tie between the huge numbers of van drivers from a variety of different walks of life.

The Collins English Dictionary describes the White Van Man as: White Van Man n informal, derogatory a male van driver, often of a white van, whose driving is selfish and aggressive'.

However, van drivers argue their actions are merely assertive - especially on congested town & city roads. The drivers focus is on their driving and the speed of progress required in meeting business schedules. The emergency services support this theory citing and are huge bastions of the Van drivers' high sense of civic duty inciting the fact that they are more likely to pull over than others road users.on the road.

The Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) proved there was more to the van-driver than meets the eye with a large percentage of them admitting to a liking of classical music, health food and scuba diving. Recent reports have also found that the White Van Man is very passionate about his or her local community, opting to shop in local stores and listen to local radio stations and often plays for a local sports team (often football) - if they don't play, they will often be in support.

One thing the term seems to ignore forget is the fact that 30% of van drivers are women and the fact tthat van drivers are credited as being some of the best drivers on the road (as opposed to the stereotype that the entire white van driving community is aggressive).

In the past decade organisations with high levels of commercial vehicles have been focused on safe and sensible driving with developments of various initiatives including the: How's my Driving?' bumper stickers and call lines - unofficially regulating individuals' driving habits.

Duncan Colman of Vansunited said: "The term White Van Man emerged in a time when vans were becoming more powerful and roads more crowded. The reason why many van drivers opt for a white van is simply that they are the most commercially practical due to the ease of sign-writing and easy resale. The vVan drivers adds approximately £35 Billion to the UK economy each year - making them essentially the backbone of the UK economy. Added to this impact nationally, van drivers are also hugely committed to their local communities - much more than many other individuals."

So, as we celebrate ten years of White Van Man', Vans United is asking all motorists to show some appreciation for the van drivers who have kept food on our tables, a roof over our heads, our cars on the roads repaired and entertainment in our homes. Vans United is calling for all van drivers to drive your van with pride in September'.