Priests are among the most DANGEROUS drivers in UK, insurance data over last year reveals

Priests are among the most dangerous drivers in Britain, a new study has revealed.

The holy workers are the fourth most likely to have a conviction for dangerous driving, as opposed to professional footballers who are among the safest drivers.

Bar workers and people who work as loaders in warehouses are also among the worst drivers, according to an analysis of almost eight million car insurance enquiries over the past year by MoneySuperMarket.

Priests are the fourth most likely to have a conviction for dangerous driving, as opposed to professional footballers who are among the safest drivers [File photo]

Just under three priests in every 1,000 who applied for car insurance with MoneySuperMarket had a dangerous driving conviction.

Dangerous driving offences include racing, overtaking dangerously, driving a dangerous vehicle, overtaking dangerously, ignoring traffic lights, or tailgating.

They also include using a mobile phone at the wheel, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing death by dangerous driving.

The study found that among the least likely to have a dangerous driving conviction were professional footballers, lawyers, and ice cream vendors.

Bar workers and people who work as loaders in warehouses are also among the worst drivers, according to the study of almost eight million insurance enquiries [File photo]

The safest drivers also include yoga teachers, headteachers, demolition workers and vets – none of which had a conviction for dangerous driving in all the 7.8m quotes in the past year.

Men were found to be six times more likely to have a dangerous driving rap than women, with a conviction rate of 0.27 in every 1,000 compared to 0.04 for women.

So who really ARE Britain’s worst drivers?

The top 10 professions with the most dangerous driving convictions, per 1,000 people were as follows;

1 – Warehouse loaders – 7.21

2 – Car dealers – 4.06

3 – Tyre technician – 4.05

4 – Priest – 2.76

5 – Medical advisor – 2.75

6 – Tree surgeon – 2.63

7 – Bar worker – 2.41

8 – Service engineer – 2.30

9 – Pipe fitter – 2.25

10 – Rail worker – 2.25

The research also found that the most likely age range to have a dangerous driving conviction were those aged between 20-24, where 0.47 out of 1,000 admitted a breach of the law.

The least likely were those aged 65 and over, with a dangerous driving rate of 0.02 out of every 1,000.

Those between 25-29 were in second spot, with a conviction rate of 0.39 out of 1,000, followed by 30-39, with 0.19 out of every 1,000 having a dangerous driving conviction.

Those aged between 40-49 had a 0.08 conviction rate, followed by 17-19 years olds, with a 0.07 dangerous driving conviction rate, with those aged between 50-64 having a 0.05 conviction rate.

A spokesman for MoneySuperMarket said: ‘New research reveals that priests and barmen are amongst the most dangerous drivers on the road.

‘The analysis is based on 7.8 million car insurance enquiries on MoneySuperMarket in the last 12 months (1st November 2018 to 31st October 2019).

‘We looked at the number of enquiries in which dangerous driving offences had been declared. There are five categories of dangerous driving offences, including causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing death by dangerous driving.

‘Loaders – people responsible for loading and unloading goods, often in warehouses – are the most dangerous drivers with a dangerous driving offence rate of 7.21 per 1,000 drivers.

‘They are followed by car dealers and tyre technicians and priests.’

Emma Garland, data scientist at MoneySuperMarket, said: ‘Our research goes to show that you can never make any assumptions about drivers and their behaviour.

The study found that among the least likely to have a dangerous driving conviction were professional footballers, lawyers, ice cream vendors. The safest drivers include yoga teachers, above, headteachers, demolition workers and vets [File photo]

‘If you feel that your driving is putting yourself or others at risk, you should consider some refresher lessons to improve your driving skills and knowledge of the highway code.

‘If you’ve got points on your licence as a result of previous dangerous driving offences or a lesser offence, you might find that you’re faced with higher than normal car insurance premiums.

‘In that case, we’d would recommend shopping around to try and find the best level of cover for your needs. You could save up to £250 by switching your car insurance at the point of renewal.

‘Whatever your situation, it’s crucial you ensure you have the correct level of cover at all times.’