Business drivers spent an average of 23 minutes each month not knowing where they were, equating to more than four and a half hours spent lost on the road every year, research reveals.

The survey asked 2,000 business drivers from the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Ireland, and found that 78% of business drivers in Europe had been lost while driving in the past month.

Around one in eight drivers said that they had been lost for more than 45 minutes, while one in 20 estimated that they spend two hours being lost every month.

Over half (51%) said they got lost because they weren’t paying attention and 30% said that they tried to beat the satnav by trying to take a better route to avoid congestion.

In addition, 27% were given wrong directions by the passenger navigating and 24% had lost their direction after someone had suggested a short cut to them.

One in 10 business drivers had run out of petrol because they became lost and even more (19%) had spent the night somewhere unplanned – or even in their car.

One in 10 also admitted calling the emergency services – 999 in the UK and 112 across the EU – when they had lost their way.

According to the research, almost half (43%) said that they didn’t check that they had enough petrol in the car before going on a journey of 100 miles or more.

Even more (51%) didn’t undertake any basic safety checks, such as tyre treads and water levels, before driving their own car on business.

Six out of 10 (61%) admitted that they didn’t check that they had emergency essentials such as a first aid kit, high-visibility jacket/vest, and warning triangle – most of which are legal requirements when driving in Europe.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s director of business rental Rob Ingram (pictured) said: “It can be difficult for businesses to strike the balance between ensuring employees are safe and have what they need on the road, and micro-managing every step of a business trip.

“Our research shows that businesses may need to support drivers to ensure they really do have everything they need.

"Even with all the technology at our fingertips, getting lost while driving is still an issue for many business drivers, particularly those driving abroad and on roads they’re unfamiliar with.

“We would advise anyone renting a vehicle for work to ask the team at the counter for help if they’re even slightly unsure.

“If you don’t have a map or your own satnav, companies like Enterprise can rent you one by the day.

"You can also access our roadside assistance for help in any country or reach out to one of our local branches if you’re lost.

“In the UK, for example, we have more than 450 locations around the country so we’re never far away and we’re always happy to help.”

More articles on: