A NEW campaign could help fleets avoid being hit with major repair bills caused by drivers filling up their company cars with the wrong type of fuel.

The AA Motoring Trust and petrol retailers are launching an information campaign in an attempt to tackle the problem, which is estimated to affect up to 120,000 motorists every year.

From this month, petrol nozzles at selected petrol stations will carry messages to alert drivers to the issue and cards carrying the warning will be issued to AA members.

The trust says its campaign is backed by the UK Petroleum Industry Association, the Petrol Retailers' Association, the Association of UK Oil Independents and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association.

John Stubbs, head of technical policy for the AA Motoring Trust, said: 'Drivers need to think before they put the wrong nozzle in the filler. While the estimated 120,000 mis-fuellings each year are only a tiny percentage of the total number of visits to the pumps, estimated to be four million a day, the disruption to those who are unlucky enough to do it is considerable.

'The major oil companies have agreed to standardise the colour of nozzles and hoses for unleaded and diesel, which is very welcome, as is their decision to review nozzle adverts to reduce potential customer confusion at the point of delivery.'

Stubbs said that in the future, once the petrol industry standardises, car manufacturers could do more.

He added: 'There's no reason why the filler caps and the area around the filler neck can't be more clearly marked and colour coded.'

The cost of repairing the damage to a car that has been driven after being filled with the wrong fuel can add up to £3,000.

Stubbs added: 'We must try to reduce mis-fuelling by raising awareness of the problem among all drivers, so that every time they refuel they make the right decision about what they are putting in the tank.'

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