BRITONS love their cars. Which is just as well. Because, on average, we spend 13 hours a week on the road as part of our job.

Men tend to drive longer hours than women, spending an average of 141/2 hours a week behind the wheel, while LGV drivers spend nearly 17 hours a week driving, totalling a month on the road every year.

The results, from research conducted by Zurich Risk Services, reveal that approximately 20 per cent or nearly 6.5m motorists drive as part of their job and that they are twice as likely to be male than female. Three-quarters are full-time employees with a further 12 per cent being self-employed and seven per cent part-time.

Managers, professionals and academics were the most likely to drive on business at 35 per cent.

Driving on business also appears to cause motorists a whole range of concerns.

When asked, over a third (35%) of respondents said their biggest worry was getting there on time.

Two in ten (21 per cent) said the fear of having an accident was their chief concern and in equal third place was the number of drivers who said their main worry was being caught speeding, breaking down or driving in extreme weather.

The experts have drawn up the following list oftips for drivers:

Get a good night's sleep before a long journey Set a realistic schedule and plan routes effectively Ensure that you attain the correct seating position - poorly positioned seats will give rise to the earlier onset of fatigue Take regular breaks - after a maximum of two hours driving, or sooner if you feel tired Make sure you keep you windscreen clean, especially at night or in adverse weather conditions. Looking through dirty glass will give rise to the earlier onset of fatigue Have your eyes tested regularly - poor eyesight will lead to the earlier onset of fatigue There is no substitute for sleep - fresh air and loud music will not keep you awake. Stop in a safe place and have a short nap. Do you have to attend the meeting; is it something you can do via the telephone or videoconference?

Accessibility guidelines for all cars available on the Motability Scheme are now available on a quarterly price list.

The information has been produced exclusively for Motability Operations by national research charity Ricability, the trading name of the Research Institute for Consumer Affairs (RICA).

The statistics will enable people choosing a new Motability car to create a short-list of vehicles that fit their personal mobility requirements, particularly for getting in and out of the car and carrying a wheelchair.

Explaining the research, David Yelding, director of Ricability, said: "This is a very exciting and unique project.

"Disabled and older people have told us how difficult it is to find practical information to help them choose a car that suits their needs.

"The new statistics and guidelines produced with Motability Operations build on many years work by Ricability with disabled and older motorists and robust technical research.

"This project is part of our continued commitment to providing independent information to disabled and older consumers."