FLEET drivers rank comfort and safety well ahead of acceleration and top speed when choosing a company car. A major new survey of company car driver attitudes has revealed that 88% prioritise comfort as a key selection criteria, followed by 77% singling out safety, and 51% nominating suitability for their job. But only 35% said speed and acceleration would affect their choice.

More than 600 fleet drivers were questioned in Lease Plan's 1997 Survey of Company Car Drivers - The Road Ahead - and the findings make fascinating reading for any fleet manager trying to establish a company car policy.

Just under half of company car drivers (45%) nominated air conditioning as their number one or two most valued comfort when choosing a car, double the figure for the previous year, and replacing the need for the once ubiquitous sunroof which has now fallen out of favour. Only 16% of drivers placed a sunroof as either their first or second selection, down from 25% in 1996, and the popularity of electric windows has also fallen - perhaps considered less important if a car has air conditioning.

On the safety front, company car drivers continue to consider ABS as the optimum feature, with 80% ranking it first or second in a list of safety features. This is followed by a driver's airbag, which scored a 56% rating.

The survey also emphasised the continued popularity of the company car as a remuneration benefit, ranked by drivers as second only to the provision of a pension, and endorsed the role of the fleet manager. For companies thinking of making employees a cash for car offer, drivers would accept an average of £5,271 in exchange for their company car.