Stay Safe on Staycation! A fifth of parents have had a near-miss behind the wheel after being distracted by kids
A new investigation by Admiral Car Insurance has revealed a worrying number of parents are being driven to distraction when their kids are in the car and it’s putting them at risk of accidents. With staycations and road trips on the rise this summer, the insurance giant is urging families to be prepared before they set off behind the wheel to minimise their risk of being involved in an accident.
The research found that one in four (26%) parents always or very often feel distracted when driving with their kids in the car – whatever the age of their children. And over a fifth (22%) of parents have felt angry with their kids while driving.
More than a third of parent drivers say kids are the single biggest distraction when driving
Accidents caused by distracting kids
For more than a third (34%) of parent drivers, having children in the car is the biggest cause of distraction whilst driving.
Nearly one in five (18%) parents have experienced a near miss in the car thanks to being distracted by their children, with this figure rising to 25% of parents with children under the age of two.
The investigation found that 14% of drivers with children admitted to having a major accident after being distracted by having kids in the car, rising to 20% of parent drivers with children under the age of eight.
Meanwhile, 16% of parents confessed to having a minor accident as a result of being distracted by their children in the car, and a further 16% admitted to scratching their alloys on the kerb after being distracted.