Drivers in the Outer Hebrides are the safest in the country, according to new statistics.

The comparison website MoneySuperMarket studied more than 5.5 million car insurance enquiries across 124 locations in the UK.

And it found motorists on Scottish islands having the lowest number of shunts.

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At the end of the scale, more than a fifth of drivers in Watford in England have been involved in car crashes in the last five years.

The town pips St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Sutton and Slough to the undesirable accolade.

More than 20 per cent of drivers in all five towns have had a car accident, with 22.26 per cent of Watford drivers having to exchange insurance details at least once.

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But less than 10% of drivers in the Outer Hebrides have been involved in a car accident in the last five years.

The Outer Hebrides is the safest place in the UK with only 9.21% of drivers experiencing a car crash since 2014.

Lerwick on the Shetland Islands and Kirkwall on Orkney are second and third safest with 9.8 and 11.15% of drivers on record as having experienced a car accident.

The EC postcode in London and the Isle of Man are fourth and fifth respectively on the list.

Even though the youngest of drivers have the least experience, they are also the least likely to have had a car accident with only 5.5% of 17 to 19 year olds having crashed.

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Drivers aged 20 to 24 are the next least likely to have had a car accident, with 15.62% of them crashing in the last five years.

Those most likely to have had a car accident are instead those who are often considered to be the safest, namely the 40 to 49 year old age bracket.

One in five drivers in their forties have had a car accident in the last five years.

Drivers aged 30 to 39 are the next most likely to have had an accident, with their accident ratio at 19.82%.

Emma Garland, data scientist at MoneySuperMarket, said: "Nationally, one in six drivers have been in a car accident in the last five years, although most are likely to be minor scrapes.

"Ensuring you have the right cover means you have one less thing to worry about if anything happens.

"If your premiums have risen following an accident, you can bring your bills down by shopping around.

"By switching to a competitive deal with a different insurer, you could save up to £2232 on your annual car insurance bill."

MoneySuperMarket is the UK's leading price comparison website, with 13 million active users.