Popping out for a quick spin could see your relaxed state of mind change quickly, if you're the kind of driver who sets out from home in 'the comfort zone'.
Insurance provider elephant.co.uk set out to test the idea that most accidents take place close to home, and confirmed that almost a third (30%) of accidents occur within a mile of a driver's front door.
And a further 35% of accidents take place within five miles of home, according to the research, which asked 3,800 customers to spill the beans about where they came unstuck.
Most of this 'local trouble' was not encountered at high-speed: the commonest causes of crunches within a mile of home were hitting parked vehicles, crashing while driving out of a minor road, reversing into another vehicle, and hitting a wall.
Brian Martin, managing director of elephant.co.uk, said that it's vital for drivers to stay alert and avoid complacency from the second they pull out of their drives.
"Our research suggests that many drivers appear to be in the comfort zone when driving close to home on familiar roads, hence why such a large proportion of accidents occur there," he said.
"It's interesting to note that the type of accidents people most commonly have close to home happen at lower speeds and involve less impact.
"In fact, these accidents could involve people simply manoeuvring in or out of their driveway."
