The research, undertaken by broker Leasing Options as the US Patent and Trademark Office awards Apple a patent on controlling a vehicle using a portable device, finds that 76% of UK drivers would feel less secure using such a method.

A total of 92% of over 65s were in favour of the physical car key, falling to 61% of drivers aged 25-34.

The simplicity and ease of having the key on your phone was one benefit highlighted, while one respondent wanted to keep up with the times saying: “It's the future. Everything will be on your phone.”

Nigel Brain, co-founder and managing director at Leasing Options said: “As a nation we now do everything on our smartphones, from booking holidays to checking our bank statements, so it’s interesting to see just how reluctant we seem to ditch our physical keys and move this part of our daily lives into the digital world.

“As with most things, it will be a case of getting used to something new and we’re likely to see attitudes change over time. However, as security is such a key factor, it’s important to know the details before switching to digital.”