Don't ignore child safety seating on the ‘school run'

Of those undertaking the school run, either driving children to school or nursery, 15% admit to having driven a child who was not secured in the appropriately safety seating, be that seat belt, booster seat or child car seat.

Research commissioned by Sainsbury's Car Insurance reveals that over 1.6 million people, or 8% of school run drivers, have had an accident whilst on the "run" in the last five years.

Joanne Mallon, Sainsbury's Car Insurance Manager said: "By highlighting the dangers of the school run, we're hoping more people will strap their young passengers in securely. The school run can be very stressful for drivers. Busy roads, children being noisy in the back seat, and the worry of being late for school or work can all lead to stress that can affect people's driving. What is most concerning about our findings is that a significant number of people are currently not ensuring their children are properly secured in the car."

Men are more likely to have an accident on the school run, with 9% of male school run drivers having done so in the last five years against 7% of women. Worryingly, men are also much more likely to drive a child who is not appropriately secured, with 18% of male school run drivers admitting to this compared to 12% of females. The most common type of accident admitted to, involved another car, with 5% of all school run drivers having been involved in this type of collision.

In terms of location, Londoners on the school run are more likely to have an accident than anyone else, with 15.2% of school run drivers having had an accident going to or from school in the last five years. Those from the North East / Yorkshire & Humberside are almost as likely to crash, with 12.5% of school run drivers having had an accident, but those in the Midlands being the least accident-prone, with only 5%.

The research indicates that a fear of lateness is the biggest cause of erratic driving on the school run. Thirteen per cent of all school run drivers blame fear of being late for work, school, or an appointment as having made them drive with less care than normal. This is followed by traffic congestion (7%), and being distracted by children in the car (6%). Only 4% of all school run drivers say they have driven more erratically because of tiredness at the end of the day.

More accidents happen on the morning school run than the afternoon one, with 41% of those who have had an accident claiming it was in the morning compared to 34% in the afternoon. Five per cent said they have had an accident on both the morning and afternoon school runs, and 20% couldn't remember. Women are particularly likely to have an accident in the morning rather than the afternoon, with 50% of the female school run crashers having done so in the morning against 37% in the afternoon.

Sainsbury's Car Insurance offers motorists an extensive range of cover and benefits. This includes a courtesy car when using one of its recommended repairers (comprehensive cover only) and a no claim discount of 70% if you take out a policy and have not made a claim in the past five years, rising to 75% after a further five years' claim free driving with Sainsbury's Car Insurance. It is also one of only a few providers to offer new for old replacement child car seats after an accident as a standard feature of its comprehensive policy, even when there is no visible damage, as well as support and compensation if you're a victim of car jacking or road rage.