Kids set to drive parents to distraction during half term
With the school half term next week, many parents will be planning to take to the roads for days out and family visits, but one in 10 parents (11 per cent) admit they are frequently distracted when driving by their children, according to research from Post Office Car Insurance.
This increases to one in five (20 per cent) parents of children aged between four and seven. Just eight per cent of parents said they are never distracted by their children.
An hour and a half of drive time is the breaking point for most mums and dads - on average parents have to stop 95 minutes into a long car journey to allow their children to let off steam outside.
The most popular ways of keeping kids occupied on car journeys are:
1. Having a chat
2. Playing CDs in the car
3. Letting them listen to their own music through headphones
4. Getting children to occupy themselves and play games with one another
5. Allowing them to play video games
Parents look to a range of children's games to help pass the time on long drives. The old favourite, Eye Spy, is the most popular, used by 50 per cent of parents to keep their children occupied. One in ten canny parents (10 per cent) opt for the Quiet Game where they challenge children to stay silent for as long as possible. Other popular games include spotting cars by type and colour, lorry spotting and alphabet games.
Childrens' constant chattering is the biggest distraction in the car according to parents, with ‘talking' cited by 58 per cent of parents. Looking at other distractions, eight to 11 year olds are the worst culprits for fighting in the car (64 per cent), and four to seven year olds are the most likely to annoy parents by singing (39 per cent). Four to seven years olds are also the most likely to commit more than half of the distractions cited by parents.
Post Office Head of Car Insurance, Gerry Barrett, said: "Keeping kids entertained in the car can be distracting, so it's important parents plan ahead to keep their kids occupied without getting diverted themselves. Being distracted while driving poses a real safety risk for parents, and it mustn't be underestimated. Regular breaks so children and parents can let off steam and a variety of planned games, music and DVDs, could go some way to keeping children quiet and parents less harassed on long half term car journeys.
"Parents carrying portable DVDs and music players to keep their children occupied should check their insurance policy to ensure these items are covered against theft and damage. And by ensuring any valuables are left out of sight they can help prevent theft and damage to their vehicles by opportunistic thieves."
To find out more about Post Office Car Insurance, visit postoffice.co.uk.