Brits who work outdoors or in rural areas are less likely to have car accidents and tend to have lower insurance premiums, a leading insurer reveals.

Farmers make the fewest insurance claims, mainly because they live and work in rural areas with less traffic on the roads and in less stressful environments, according to Churchill.

At the other end of the scale, estate agents were found to have the worst accident records as they spend much of their working day driving on busy roads and tend to park wherever they can.

Churchill also found that restaurant owners, community nurses, property developers and chefs were also more likely to make a lot of claims on their insurance.

The busy lifestyles of doctors and aircraft cabin crew, along with the home visits required of social workers and care workers also makes them prime candidates for car accidents.

But aircraft fitters, horticulturists, ambulance drivers, lab technicians and pilots were found to make few claims and therefore enjoyed lower premiums.

Insurance underwriters and engineers were also found to be low-risk drivers.

Darren McCauley, Head of Car Insurance at Churchill, said: "People's occupations provide a useful lifestyle indicator, which we use to calculate our premiums. It helps us to ensure that customers with good claims records do not subsidise those who make frequent claims.

"The data also suggests that people who have a job which allows them to work outside and are not confined to a desk make fewer claims."