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Keeping a high-visibility vest in the car could help prevent accidents and save lives, it has been claimed.

Claims on car insurance policies could potentially be avoided if drivers ensured they carried the fluorescent garments with them on longer journeys.

This is according to Comma, a car care organisation, which pointed out that male motorists are three times more likely to be killed or injured while stranded on the hard shoulder than women.

As part of its Safe and Seen campaign, the firm drew on Department for Transport (DfT) figures, which demonstrate that over the last 15 years, over 2,000 male drivers have suffered harm or fatalities after their vehicle has broken down.

This is partly due to the fact that men are more likely to look under the bonnet in order to identify the problem. However, as Comma pointed out, this could potentially lead to danger, especially at night when oncoming traffic may fail to see them.

As a result, the organisation has launched its campaign to highlight the efficacy of wearing a high-visibility vest when a vehicle breaks down - something Auto Express research shows increases the chances of being seen by other motorists by 400 per cent.

Comma spokesperson Mike Bewsey said: "Once you're outside of your car in the dark, you're effectively invisible.

"The male tendency is to get under the bonnet and try to fix the problem but, if you can't be seen, you're asking for trouble."

Fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Philip Hodson contributed to the debate by noting men's desire to be seen as the "rescuer" in such situations, whereas women are more inclined to be more realistic about their own ability and adhere to safety rules.

As the nights become darker sooner, there is even more need to be seen on the roads at night, Comma emphasised, since, according to the DfT, accidents are twice as likely to occur in the dark.

With the clocks turning back, a number of organisations have sought to encourage safe driving practices among motorists.

Among these is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which recently called on the government to introduce Single Double Summer Time, which, it says, would add an extra hour of daylight in the evenings and therefore benefit road safety.

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