The research was carried out by price comparison web site confused.com, which also reports that rises in the cost of gaining a licence are seeing fewer driving tests being taken on a year by year basis.

Neville Briggs, managing director at CFC, said: ‘These figures are actually quite shocking and, if accurate, indicate that the number of drivers taking to the road without a licence is much higher than we previously believed.

‘Perhaps worryingly, it also shows a possible growing disregard for motoring rules in general – a large number of people have been driving in the last few years without insurance and now they may not even be bothering with a licence.”

Briggs added that this issue meant it was ever more important for employers to check employee licences properly with the DVLA because it was clear that the risks were higher than previously thought.

He said: ‘If a licenceless driver is involved in an accident in their own vehicle on a private journey that causes serious injury then it is a tragedy. However, if a licenceless driver is involved in the same type of accident on business then it is not just a tragedy but a severe failure of duty of care that could lead to major problems for your company. It is something that you cannot afford not to take seriously.’

Briggs said that interest in licence checking among fleets continued to be high, and that use of CFC’s Licence Link was growing rapidly.

He added: ‘More and more fleets are taking the whole issue of licence checking seriously but we still talk to large fleets every month where the issue is dealt with in a manner than probably wouldn’t stand up in court.

‘The good news is that awareness is increasing and most of these fleets are in dialogue with us because they know they have a licence checking issue and want to solve it.’