Costs associated with European drivers on Britain's roads could be as high as £800 million annually, according to new research from
car insurance provider LV=.
In new statistics, the group asserts that taking
car insurance claims, accidents and potential congestion into consideration, foreign drivers could be putting a considerable strain on UK motorists.
There has been more than a 50 per cent increase in the number of resident EU drivers within the UK rose from 534,000 in 2001 to 801,000 in 2007, the firm reports.
John O'Roarke, managing director of LV= general insurance, said: "There has been a steep rise in drivers from other European countries over the past few years and our report shows that the cost of insurance claims, accidents and potential congestion has escalated as well."
He concluded by insisting that tightening driving standards across the EU now needs to be made a government priority.
Recently, road safety organisation Think! has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while tired, which followed a number of high-profile awareness schemes focusing on aspects such as mobile phones, car seats, drink driving and motorcycle safety.
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