Business Insurance - Women 'slightly safer in company cars than men'

Companies are slightly less likely to need to make business car insurance claims on company vehicles driven by women, according to a new report.

A study by Total Accident Management has analysed around 25,000 accidents in its database, finding that female company drivers are at fault for 36 per cent of incidents they are involved in, while 44 per cent were not their responsibility.

This marginally betters the 41 per cent fault rate seen among male company car users, with 43 per cent of incidents among this group deemed to be non-fault.

According to the company, the general standard of driving in company cars is high, but basic errors such as leaving the handbrake off are common, which reinforces the need for proper training to be undertaken.

Penny Stoolman, Total's managing director, said: "Company motorists are professional drivers, some covering tens of thousands miles on company business each year and generally their standards of driving are very good."

Last week, a study conducted by Volvo revealed that luxury and environmental performance are key criteria for those purchasing company cars, as well as the amount of tax to which the vehicles are subject.