Sales and marketing workers have been revealed as the van drivers most likely to claim on their insurance, data from Quotezone.co.uk has found.

The data revealed by the van insurance comparison site, found that 25% of van drivers working in sales and marketing made a claim within the last five years, followed by fashion workers (23%), chimney sweeps (18%) and plumbers (15%).

Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, said: “A motorist’s occupation is one of the variables most insurance providers factor into their insurance premium calculations, so we wanted to see if there was a noticeable correlation between certain professions and the risk of a van insurance claim being made.

“The data suggests that van drivers working in sales and marketing are more likely than those in other professions, to be involved in an at-fault accident, although people working in the fashion industry come a close second.

“Of course, your profession is just one of the factors insurance providers use when calculating your premium.

"Your location, your age, your driving record and your No Claims Discount are just some of the other factors that all play a role in the calculation too, and if you do happen to work in sales and marketing you should be able to offset the potential for higher van insurance premiums your occupation brings by focusing on that latter factor – building up a sizable No Claims Discount.”

The findings were sourced from data provided from 200,000 van drivers in the UK.

Highest number of van insurance claims by occupation:

1. Sales and marketing – 25% (of van drivers working in this sector made a claim in the last five years)
2. Fashion – 23%
3. Chimney sweep – 18%
4. Plumbers – 15%
5. Pet services – 15%
6. Glaziers – 14%
7. Flooring/carpet fitters – 14%
8. Property – 14%
9. Electrician – 14%
10. Sports – 13%
11. Construction – 13%
12. Carpentry – 13%
13. Retail – 12%
14. Consultancy – 12%
15. Media – 12%
16. Engineers – 12%
17. Education – 11%
18. Couriers – 11%
19. Healthcare – 11%

The study also found that claims were most likely to be made by individuals who live in Hertfordshire, Shropshire and Cambridgeshire and the average van insurance claim pay-out within the past five years amounted to £3,465.17.

The top ten regions for van insurance claims:

1. Hertfordshire – 22% (of van drivers living in this area made a claim in the last five years)
2. Shropshire – 21%
3. Cambridgeshire – 20%
4. Norfolk – 20%
5. Kent – 20%
6. Somerset – 20%
7. Middlesex – 19%
8. Essex – 19%
9. West Yorkshire – 19%
10. Berkshire – 18%

By contrast, Gloucestershire and Surrey had the lowest van insurance claims rates in England, with just 10% of van drivers in each of those counties claiming on their van insurance during the last five years.

Hyundai van drivers were also found to be most likely to be involved in a van insurance claim, revealing that 22% of Hyundai van drivers claimed on their insurance, followed by 20% Isuzu van drivers and 18% of people driving Volkswagen vans.

Ford, Vauxhall, Fiat and Citroen vans all had average van insurance claims rates of 15%, but Bedford van drivers and Piaggio van drivers were much less likely to claim on their insurance, with average van insurance claims rates of just 9% for each of these makes.