Venson Automotive Solutionsis warning that fleets could be incurring unnecessary costs by replacing windscreens instead of repairing them.

The cost of repair is on average less than 15% of the replacement cost, yet many companies still choose replacement as the automatic option. Venson is calling for a rethink in the way businesses deal with damage to windscreens to save fleet managers thousands of pounds.

Venson statistics show that on average 32% of the vehicles it covers have their windscreen repaired when damaged - a figure that is well above the industry average.  However, many fleet operators are still opting for the far more expensive option of simply having them replaced - which can cost more than 5 times the price of repair.

Carl Stephens, commercial director of Venson Automotive Solutions, said: "The windscreen is one of the most vulnerable areas on a vehicle to be damaged, so with the extended cold period we have experienced this year, together with the increasing danger of potholes, small chips and cracks have become worse almost instantly.  Not surprisingly, windscreen damage has been at a record high."

Venson has operated a ‘Repair First' policy over the 11,000 Light Commercial Vehicles and cars covered by its fleet and accident management services. Venson claims this approach saved its clients over £18,000 in 2012.