Car park prang more likely than motorway crash

British drivers are six times more likely to crash their car on a road close to home than on a motorway.

New research shows more than nine million motorists (29 per cent) admit having had a car accident near where they live.

Figures released by moneysupermarket.com, reveal UK minor roads are the next most dangerous for accidents. One in four (25 per cent) motorists admitted having a collision on a minor road, for example a lane or single-track road, and almost a quarter (23 per cent) have been involved in a collision on an A-road or dual carriageway.

This contrasts starkly with the five per cent of British motorists who have crashed on a UK motorway, making them six times safer than smaller roads. When it comes to driving on the motorway, men are more likely than women to have had a collision; seven per cent compared with just two per cent.

Car parks can be particularly hazardous with over one in seven British motorists admitting to some kind of incident here; three times as many as those who have had an accident on a motorway. Overall, two thirds of Britain’s drivers (68 per cent) say they have had at least one car accident.

Richard Mason, managing director of insurance at moneysupermarket.com, said: “Whilst motorists must remain vigilant at all times, danger clearly lurks close to home for many drivers, with collisions most likely to happen in their neighbourhood and places they visit regularly. This suggests motorists become complacent when navigating familiar routes, often leading to costly prangs and resulting insurance claims.”

The survey also reveals two per cent of drivers have been involved in a collision while driving abroad, showing Brits to be competent at adapting to foreign road systems. It also highlights the necessity of being fully insured when driving on holiday, whether in a private or hire car.

Other findings reveal:

Motorists in the South West are most likely to have had a car accident (75 per cent), compared to those in Scotland (56 per cent)

The Welsh find it most difficult to avoid colliding with another car in a car park with one in five (21 per cent) admitting they have had an accident here. Those in the North West are least likely to have had a collision here (nine per cent)

One in ten (ten per cent) of those in the West Midlands have had a car accident on the motorway compared with just one per cent in the neighbouring East Midlands