Four out of 10 company car drivers ‘irresponsible’

2 May 2005
 
BRUSSELS – Almost 40 percent of company car drivers in Belgium and the Netherlands admit they ignore road laws.

One of the five main car hire companies GE Fleet Services, which hires out 11,000 vehicles in Belgium, says drivers of company cars take more risks on the road than ordinary drivers.

On Monday, ‘La Derniere Heure’ reported that GE Fleet had commissioned internet research company Insites to survey 1,421 Belgian company car drivers and 2,159 Dutch drivers.

Those who said they didn’t respect road laws generally had no intention of changing their driving, concluded Insites.

Although a quarter (23 percent) believed they drove carefully, the survey results proved that wasn’t true, with 40 percent receiving one or two driving penalties a year.

“We can conclude overall that six out of 10 (62 percent) don’t drive safely,” said the survey’s report.

In 80 percent of cases when drivers receive penalties it is for speeding or for illegal parking.

A sixth of company car drivers admit they don’t wear a seatbelt for short journeys and as many as a quarter admit they drink and drive from time to time.

Nor do company car drivers care about fuel consumption since often their firms pay for their petrol.

Although 93 percent surveyed were aware of the link between speed and fuel consumption, just 47 percent bore that in mind when they were at the wheel.

Only half of them think of fuel efficiency when they are choosing their company car.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news