Mums spend £1,000 a year ferrying kids about: It’s them – not dads – doing most driving in 7 out of 10 families
- Mothers do most of the driving in seven out of 10 families, according to a poll
- Of the journeys undertaken, the school run is the biggest
- Nearly a third say they would consider charging their children to cover the cost
- But only one in 20 do charge their children for all journeys they make for them
Mums are spending nearly £1,000 on petrol per year driving their kids around, a new poll suggests.
The mothers-come-unpaid chauffeurs do most of the driving in seven out of 10 families, with 153 hours spent each year driving their children around, according to a survey by used car website Cazoo.
On the eve of Mothers’ Day looms, it found that mums spend £997.36 annually on fuel to take their offspring from A to B – although with people being told to stay at home and schools shut, there’s a chance they won’t spend quite that much this year.
Many mums accept the expense and more than one in ten (11 per cent) say it’s ‘precious time’ because it’s the only time of day they get to spend together
Of the journeys undertaken, the school run is the biggest, followed by taking children shopping and visiting relatives.
The survey of more than 2,000 mothers also found that nearly a third say they would consider charging their children to cover the cost.
Although in reality only one in 20, or just 5 per cent, do charge their children for all journeys they make for them.
A similar proportion ‘chauffeur’ their children in return for them carrying out household chores.
But many mums accept the expense and more than one in ten (11 per cent) say it’s ‘precious time’ because it’s the only time of day they get to spend together.
More than a third, or 35 per cent say they find being in the car with their children a great way to bond, with more than one in five, or 21 per cent, admitting this is where they have their most open and honest conversations.
One in eight, or 13 per cent, said that is their favourite part of the day.
The research also shows that a mum’s taxi service doesn’t stop once their children reach driving age.
Nearly four out of ten, or 36 per cent, of those surveyed say a proportion of their time is still spent driving their children over the age of 17.
A quarter of respondents still spend two hours per week driving around their older children and one in eight, or 13 per cent, spending up to three hours.
Analysis of the data across the UK shows that mums in Liverpool are more likely than anywhere else in the country to do the majority of the driving for the family, with 83 per cent of them saying so.
They are followed by Wolverhampton (81 per cent), Worcester (78 per cent), Birmingham (77 per cent), and Aberystwyth (75 per cent).
By contrast, mums in Southampton do the least amount of driving for their families, with less than half, or 47 per cent, admitting so.
They are followed by Oxford (48 per cent), York (52 per cent), Wrexham (53 per cent) and Aberdeen (54 per cent).
Katherine Hurst, customer experience director at Cazoo said: ‘It’s interesting to see that mums are doing most of the driving for their kids, and how much they value this time.
‘Some mums say it’s the only time of day they get to spend together and therefore it’s precious time.’
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