Mum’s a better driver than dad according to kids

As millions of British families jump in the car to visit friends and relatives this Christmas, new research from Budget Car Rental reveals that women are the preferred driver, according to their kids, settling the age old battle of which sex is better behind the wheel.

The research, which polled 1,000 British children between the ages of 6 and 15 years old, revealed that the majority of children preferred being in the backseat with mum at the wheel because she plays better music (37%), plays car games (26%) and tells jokes (24%) with them more often than dad.

Keeping children involved throughout the journey also goes hand in hand with them feeling safe, with children more likely to pick mum (40%) than dad (26%) to drive for this reason. 

Dangerous Dads

Dads fall down a gear for their bad driving habits and aggression behind the wheel, with 68% of children believing they would be more likely to have an accident than mum. Compared to the fairer sex, British kids also believe dads are more likely to speed (71%), receive more fines (70%) and take the most risks (72%) when on the road.

Dads are also far more likely to get angry with other drivers (69%), while in contrast, travelling with mum is a much more entertaining experience with almost a third (30%) of children saying they’d prefer to have mum in the driving seat because they talk to them more.

Back to basics

While mums may be the drivers of choice, their skills let them down on their road to victory with the majority of kids saying dad is better at reversing (64%) and parking (61%). Similarly, it seems nothing goes unmissed from the backseat with 62% of kids claiming mum is most likely to stall the car.  Nearly one third of children who say they would rather dad drives do so because they think he is less likely to get lost than mum (31%).

Battle of the regions

Opinions do vary significantly by UK region and there is a notable divide between kids in London, where 64% say mum drives better, compared to those in Northern Ireland where only 17% of kids would choose mum over dad.  London mums are less likely to sing along to the radio when driving, with only 40% prepared to test their vocal chords compared to 74% of musical mums in Wales.

Stuart Liddle, Head of Budget UK, said of the findings, “Children have a unique backseat view of their parent’s capabilities behind the steering wheel and our research defies the nation’s traditional pre-conception that men are the better drivers than women.”

“With Christmas being an extremely busy time of year on the roads, it’s essential that parents plan their journey carefully, allowing plenty of time to get to where they need to be, as well as incorporating those much needed breaks into the journey.  Drivers should also make sure they check for adverse weather conditions before setting off and always pack plenty of food, water and warm clothes.”

Budget Car and Van Rental offer an extensive range of family cars for hire from locations across the UK. For more information, visit budget.co.uk.