A new poll by car insurance data firm The Trading Floor has found that football referees have a relatively poor driving history, with a majority (80%) lacking a no-claims discount on their insurance policy.
Only professional boxers are worse, with 82% unable to get the insurance discount.
The Trading Floor, which looked into data from 8.8 million drivers, found that two-thirds (66%) of those working in sporting professions do not have a no-claims discount, well above the national average of 45%.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of umpires officiating cricket matches lack a no-claims discount.
Others who are found to be poor risks from an insurance point of view are rally drivers (77%), footballers (75%) and jockeys (74%).
Chris McDonald, managing director of The Trading Floor, said: "People working in sport usually need great hand-eye co-ordination and have to be good at processing visual information, so you would expect them to make the best drivers but this research suggests otherwise."
© Press Association 2011
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