The firm has analysed its database of nearly 25,000 incidents recorded in 2011 split by male/female drivers.

Out of all accidents recorded by Total involving women drivers, 36 out of every 100 accidents (36%) were deemed as their fault or partly their fault, while just over 44 out of 100 (44.5%) of accidents were non fault.

That compares with male drivers where nearly 41 out of every 100 incidents (40.9%) were proven as their fault or partly their fault while just over 43 out of every 100 (43.1%) were non fault.

This means that women are better drivers – although it's by a factor of just 5%.

Penny Stoolman, Total’s managing director, said: 'Company motorists are professional drivers, some covering tens of thousands miles on company business each year and generally their standards of driving are very good. That’s why we believe the "at fault' accident rates are so close between women and men.'

However, when company car drivers do have an accident it is quite serious, with 1,071 cars (6.36% of all accidents) being designated as a total loss.

Car crime is also still an issue, with 1,087 (6.4% of all incidents) cars being stolen or vandalised. Currently 187 of those cars stolen were yet to be recovered, reinforcing the challenges faced by fleets to protect their cars with certain models being stolen to order, or the car’s identity being stripped and it being sold onto an unsuspecting driver.

'Standard levels of security on the modern car are very high, but where we see the most vehicle theft is among higher value more desirable cars and if they do not have a tracking system fitted it is not always possible to track down the vehicle once it has been stolen.

'Company motorists should also refrain from a laptop or mobile phone being left on show in the car, as this happens all too often and accounts for a number of cars being  broken into and damaged every day,' said Stoolman.