Most van owners know that the price of their van insurance varies based on a number of factors, including the make, model and value of the van, what it's going to be used for, where the owner lives and the driving history of the person or persons who will be driving it.

For example, van insurance quotes are generally more expensive if you have a city address or if you are under the age of 25.

One important factor that will be used to calculate your van insurance is the safety features that your van possesses. For instance, older models with very basic safety tech might be more expensive to insure than a newer model with plenty of features that will keep the driver and other road users safe, even though the value of the older van is less.

Here we look at some of the latest safety tech being included in vans, trucks and pickups. And we warn you, some of it is pretty nifty!

Adaptive Cruise Control

Van drivers who do a lot of motorway miles may use cruise control to give their gas foot a rest; however, with basic cruise control, the driver has to step in when approaching a slower-moving vehicle.

Adaptive cruise control uses forward-facing radar to sense when the van is approaching a slower-moving vehicle, which activates the brakes to reduce the speed automatically. And the really clever part is that when the driver pulls out to overtake, the system resets itself back to the pre-set speed once it senses that the road ahead is clear.

Autonomous Emergency Braking

Forward-facing radar technology detects when the van is in imminent danger of collision. A warning alarm is set off to alert the driver and, if the brakes are not activated swiftly enough by the driver, the system automatically applies the brakes. Some systems will bring the vehicle to a standstill, while others will need the driver to apply pressure to the brakes to bring the vehicle to a complete standstill

Blind Spot Assist

To help with the typical lack of side and rear visibility in vans, some manufacturers are adding technology that will detect when another vehicle is in the 'blind spot'. Radar technology 'senses' when something is close by and alerts the driver with visual or audio prompts.

Crosswind Assist

With more and more severe storms and high-wind weather warnings around, anything that makes a high-sided vehicle a little safer to drive is a must-have piece of kit. Crosswind assist activates when the van is travelling above a certain speed, such as 50mph. Sensors evaluate the direction of the van and if it begins to veer sideways the system activates to counteract the effects of the crosswind.

There are two types of Crosswind Assist technology: one system uses braking on one side of the vehicle to pull the van back onto a straight course, while the other uses the van's integral power steering to autonomously counteract the change of direction through the steering.

Lane Keeping Assist

While most van drivers would never admit to it, most of us have witnessed the vehicle in front of us drifting off line and across the white lines on the road. Lane Keeping Assist technology automatically detects whether the van is crossing a lane line and emits an alert to warn the driver.

Some systems also include steering assist to autonomously correct the direction of travel. To stop the alerts from occurring when overtaking, the system disables whenever the indicators are in operation.

Trailer sway control

For van drivers who tow trailers the thought of it swaying, or 'snaking' as you fight to regain control, is one of those nightmare situations you hope will never happen to you. Trailer sway control technology is totally awe-inspiring as it detects the 'yaw-rate' (rotational speed around a vertical axis) and uses the van's electronic stability programme to stabilise the snaking by controlling the speed and braking.

Check out your van tech for cheaper van insurance

Anything that reduces the likelihood of accidents and injury is a good thing in the eyes of van insurance providers, so buying a van with extra safety technology will ultimately help you get a better deal on your cover, whether it's any driver van insurance, fleet van insurance or under-25 van insurance.

And while you're checking out your van tech, you should check out the van insurance prices that iVan can offer.

Get a quote today.