People who own a company car drive more for journeys that are not work-related than people who do not have a company car, according to Vias.
On average, the owners of company cars drive about 40 km per day for journeys that have nothing to do with their work, compared to 36 km for people who do not own a company car, according to an analysis by road safety institute Vias published in 2019.
Even though company cars make up only 8% of all cars in Belgium, they account for 16% of all kilometres travelled, reports NewMobility.
On an annual basis, that cover about 1.500 private kilometres per car. As there are around 465.000 company cars in Belgium according to the figures, that comes down to about 675 million kilometres per year.
According to two other studies, both conducted in 2016, the difference is even bigger. The Federal Planning Bureau and the University of Antwerp isolated the effect of all other possible factors for private mileage driving in company cars, like the place of residence, income, and access to public transport, among others.
"A family with a company car travels an average of 8 km a day, which is 2.993 km a year, more for private journeys. It is to be expected. If driving is cheaper, the threshold for using the car is lower," according to those studies, reports The Federal Plan Bureau.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
