Foreign drivers are responsible for up to 18,000 accidents on Britain's roads each year, according to recent research.

Figures released by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) also revealed that drivers of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from overseas were three times more likely to be involved in a collision than British HGV drivers.

It seems that British drivers are not doing much better, as they were responsible for 6,000 crashes last year while driving in other European Union (EU) countries.

"Greater movement throughout Europe must not mean more dangerous roads," said ABI director general Stephen Haddrill.

"With 45 major differences in the road laws between member states, it is hardly surprising that cross-border driving is leading to more collisions."

The ABI is proposing greater co-operation between EU members to ensure that drivers have all the information they need and that rules are properly enforced.

"Our proposals focus on better information sharing and law enforcement," Mr Haddrill added. "We call on the UK government and the European Commission to recognise the scale of the problem and build on the first steps they have taken to ensure that drivers can travel more safely throughout Europe."

In Switzerland, foreign drivers are responsible for half of all road accidents, the ABI figures show.

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