One in four parents involved in a car accident whilst taking their children to school

• One in four parents said that they were involved in a car accident whilst taking their children to school during the last academic year.
• Data from AXA reveals motorists are 33% more likely to claim at 7am, 47% more likely at 8am and 37% more likely at 9am in September compared to August.
• Rushing seems to be the main cause of issues during the school run, with 46% of parents saying they often spend mornings clock-watching in order to get their children to school on time.
• Respondents provide tips for improving mornings, including having fun with countdown timers to encourage kids to get ready.

With the majority of schools going back this week, AXA Insurance reveals one in four parents¹ were involved in a car accident whilst taking their children to school during the last academic year. Nine per cent claimed that they had been in a somewhat major accident, whilst another 8% said their accident was ‘severe’. Eighteen per cent also said that whilst they had not been involved in an accident, they had been involved in at least one near miss.

Unfortunately, when schools go back, the increase in people on the roads naturally leads to a higher likelihood of being involved in an accident. Claims data from AXA² shows that the amount of claims made between 7am and 9am in September increases drastically compared to August, as motorists are 33% more likely to claim at 7am, 47% more likely at 8am and 37% more likely at 9am.

A number of these accidents occur on or near the school gates: one in six parents claimed their accident occurred near the school or in the school car park with someone they know. It is therefore not surprising that 42% of parents believe that even though their child’s school tries to help when it comes to road safety around the area, they could do more.

Ideas include creating more designated parking spaces (37%), working with local residents to  make sure they don’t block roads for parents and vice versa (31%) and making sure children don’t stand around the car park or in front of the school (24%).

Causes of school-run accidents

Driving during rush hour can often be stressful, with 39% of parents saying that other drivers rushing makes them feel like them and their children are in danger. Rushing seems to be the main cause of issues during the school run, with 46% of parents saying they often spend mornings clock-watching in order to get their children to school on time.

One in three parents also said they often feel stressed in the morning, whilst a quarter regularly experience frustration and 15% are overwhelmed. Some of the biggest challenges parents face are children arguing about what they want to wear (33%), throwing their breakfast on the floor (25%) and their spouse not helping (31%).

Ways to improve the school run

Running late is something most parents worry about, with 64% and 52% saying running late to school and work respectively distracts them whilst driving their kids to school. However, 67% don’t put any measures in place to help them plan their journeys such as checking traffic reports, messaging other parents or arranging lift shares.

This week millions of parents (including myself) will be back in the old routine of making sure everyone gets out the house on time and then having to deal with the madness of rush-hour traffic. We all know that this isn’t fun, but in some cases this constant rushing about can leave us distracted, which causes accidents on the road. There are, however, some ways we can make life easier, such as leaving a few minutes earlier, making sure you have had the right amount of sleep, and, most importantly, planning as much as possible the night before.

Some respondents have their own clever ways³ of making the school run easier, including:

Prep the night before

“Do as much as you can the night before when the children are all in bed. Things take a fraction of the time when there aren't kids distracting you: you're less likely to forget something and you'll be less rushed in the morning. All this massively reduces stress.”

Get moving

“Set off earlier and walk if you can!”

Have some fun

“Make sure you wake everyone up early enough so they have enough time to get ready. Try to make it fun by using countdowns or timers and being encouraging.”

¹ Figures obtained from research commissioned by AXA of 2000 UK parents / grandparents that take their children / grandchildren to nursery or school. The research was carried out by OnePoll in August 2017.

² Statistics from AXA Insurance motor insurance claims for ‘collisions’ only (e.g. excluding fire and theft) made during 2016.

³ Submissions may have been edited for clarity.