Business drivers prove to be costly offenders

11 October 2009

Almost half of business drivers have had an accident in the last year, while one in six have committed a motoring offence, according to new research from Lex Autolease.

The UK’s largest vehicle leasing provider reviewed almost 21,000 vehicles on its fleet to uncover how many drivers were offending behind the wheel. The research also discovered that the majority are one off law breakers with just one in 20 suffering from repeat offences.

However, Steve Osborne, the firm’s head of fleet management said: “Company car users cover 20,000 miles a year on average, so there’s a real need to see greater care being taken on the road. There is always room for improvement and firms have a duty of care to ensure they communicate and remind drivers of their responsibilities while travelling on company business. It’s a financial and safety priority.”

Lex Autolease’s research reveals that 45% of company drivers have been involved in a driving accident in the last year with almost 70% at fault and an average repair bill of £860. As a result, vehicles are garaged for seven days and this doesn’t take account of any third party costs, such as hire car charges and lost working hours, which collectively can amount up to 20-50 times more than the repair.