Company car drivers plagued by 'fixed objects'

Bollards, walls and parked cars were among the objects struck, an analysis of 11,000 claims by vehicle management company LeasePlan has found. In addition, a further 5% of company car drivers have hit a person in a moving vehicle while manoeuvring or reversing.

The LeasePlan research analysed 233 companies, with the average repair costs of the claims being around £855.

Sarah Easton, head of managed services at LeasePlan UK, said: "By their nature, accidents are difficult to predict and so many companies see them as an unavoidable cost of business.

"However, these figures show that a high proportion of accidents involve simple driver errors, which could be avoided through steps such as more effective driver training."

She added: "By adopting a more comprehensive approach to duty of care and accident management, fleet managers can reduce the numbers of these accidents and control the costs of those that do occur. Specialist driver training and regular vehicle maintenance are obvious steps that can be taken to improve road safety.

"Companies should also have clear and well communicated policies on some of the direct causes of accidents. This can include issues such as mobile phone use or driver fatigue, or simply ensuring drivers have regular eye tests."

Map reading

Meanwhile, another study has shown that half of young drivers cannot read maps. Two thirds of motorists aged 18-34 did not know that an A-road is coloured red on a standard road map, the survey for RAC Direct Insurance found.

Nearly a third muddled up the M40 with the River Avon, while 16% did not know in which direction they would be travelling if going from Birmingham to Nottingham - north east is the correct answer. Also, 36% did not recognise the symbol for a level crossing on a map.

With satellite navigation systems becoming more prevalent, 14% of all drivers admitted to never using a road map, with this figure rising to 20% for drivers under 35. More than a quarter of young drivers do not carry a road map in their vehicle.

About half of all motorists and more than three in five of those under 35 rely on online route planners to complete their journeys.

Adam Cracknell of RAC Direct Insurance said: "Planning a journey thoroughly should be a priority for all motorists, both young and old. Technology makes our lives easier and more convenient in so many ways, but it shouldn't make us complacent."