British motorists will be involved in a car accident once every six and a half years, a new survey claims.

Some 3.9 million car accidents happen every year on roads in the UK – which equates to over seven every minute, according to Churchill.

It claims that the old belief that men are better drivers than women is true with men crashing on average once every seven years and one month compared to women's every six years and seven months.

The survey also found that almost three quarters of drivers will be victims of car theft in their lifetime, with 76 per cent of women reporting their car being stolen, compared with 70 per cent of men.

But both male and female drivers will make three insurance claims for damage done to their windscreen during the course of their driving lifetime.

Darren McCauley, head of car insurance at Churchill, said: "People will be surprised at how frequently they need to make a car insurance claim over their lifetime, which highlights the need for comprehensive insurance."

"Car accidents are one of the less enjoyable things about being a driver, but it’s inevitable that you will have to make a claim at some point. However competent you are at driving, you cannot avoid someone hitting your car when it’s parked or an object hitting your windscreen causing its repair or replacement," he added.