Carrentals.co.uk's Recent Survey Found Car Crime Sparks Fear on Britains Roads

    LIGHTWATER, ENGLAND, January 16, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Over 40% of UK drivers have been a victim of car crime
- 1 in 5 of us no longer feel safe on Britains roads
- Nearly 50% believe that drivers are getting more aggressive
- Just 42% said they would stop if they saw another driver in trouble on the road
- Incidents ranging from road rage and car jacking to physical abuse and even rape reported

British drivers no longer feel safe on the roads, according to a new survey by car hire comparison site www.carrentals.co.uk, which found that over 40% of drivers have been a victim of car crime.

The research questioned over 1,000 people across the UK and found that more than 1 in 5 of us dont feel safe on Britains roads, with nearly 50% believing that drivers are getting more aggressive and 1 in 3 believing people drive too fast.

Respondents told of incidents ranging from car jacking and physical violence, to verbal abuse and even a report of rape, underlining the growing issue of car crime on the roads.

Gareth Robinson, managing director of www.carrentals.co.uk, said: "The findings of the survey are staggering, and show just how concerned many people are about their safety on the roads. The fact that 40% of respondents said they had been a victim of car crime, shows the extent of the problem, and we feel more needs to be done to educate drivers on what to do if they find themselves in trouble on the roads."

The survey shows that more men than women have been victims of car crime " 48% of men compared to 33% of women, with the most affected age group those aged 31 and above. Yorkshire had the highest number of car crime victims with over 52% of respondents experiencing some form of attack, while the South West is the safest region at 32%. The most common incidents were of cars being damaged on purpose or stolen.

When it comes to getting help on the roads, just 34% of respondents said they thought other drivers would stop to assist them if they were in trouble on the road.

This highlights the personal safety concerns of many motorists, with 1 in 3 female respondents saying they would not trust another drivers motives - even if they did stop to help them. Across the UK, London is the most trusting region in the UK, with over 44% saying they would trust another drivers motives, while the South West is the least trusting (30%).

When asked if they themselves would stop if they saw another driver in trouble on the road, just 42% of respondents said they would - 55% of men and less than 30% of women. North East drivers are the most caring with 52% saying they would stop, while just 34% of South East drivers would pull over.

The issue of hitch hiking still splits drivers with less than 1% of women saying they would pick up a hitchhiker, compared to 8% of men. These figures increase significantly if drivers arent alone in the car, with 60% of women and 55% of men saying they would pick a hitchhiker up. However 25% of women say that they would never pick a hitchhiker up even if someone else was in the car with them.

In terms of handling dangerous situations 65% would call the police, but 20% - or 1 in 5 " would choose to handle the incident themselves, potentially putting themselves in more danger.

Gareth Robinson added: "We found a lot of very strong feeling about the issues the survey raised, and some strong differences in attitudes between different parts of the UK. However, what is consistent is the concern that exists over driver safety " whether this is to do with people driving too fast, or with direct attacks."

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Holiday Autos, Budget, EasyCar and Thrifty, in over 9,000 locations around the World, and also includes a range of safety advice.

To compare the best car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.

About Carrentals.co.uk
www.carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UKs leading online car hire companies by 2006.

In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

Websites searched include Budget, Thrifty, Sixt, Holiday Autos, Opodo, EBookers, Carrentals.co.uk and EasyCar, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 6,000 links to useful tourist information sites, plus over 2,700 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk

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