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Parenting is a full-time job, so is chauffeuring them around until they’re 18 years old it seems. According to an insurance study in the UK, parents drive their children around for 202 482km – that’s 145 times from Jozi to Cape Town.
LONDON, England - UK insurance company Aviva study showed that parents transport their children 202 483km before they are old enough to do it themselves.
If you're about to become parents, your job will also entail becoming a full-time chauffeur for the first 18 years of your child's life. According to the survey, parents make about 117 trips with an average of 1031km each month. Convert the distance and you’re looking at about 25 hours and ten minutes behind the wheel says the stats.
MONTHLY SCHEDULE
Besides the daily school trip, the study found that these trips include 28 family outings, 12 visits to friends' homes and 11 to sports activities – per month.
A further analysis shows six trips are set aside for birthday parties, five to social activities and four to music lessons. Because of these numerous activities, data shows that household needs for two cars have trebled since the 1970’s.
In total, British parents drive about 11 495km a year for the first five years of a child's life, 13 452km for next six years thereafter and another 10624km per year for children between the ages of 11 and 16. This totals 202 482km which is the same as driving from Johannesburg to Cape Town about 145 times.
In 1972, only 8% of parents had a car each, now, 36% of parents have a car each at home. Those parents who have children in primary school cover the most distance of about 1165km, said Aviva.
Parents with children in secondary school have the lowest figures of about 963km according to 1 000 parents who took the survey. Reason being, says the study, that teenagers are more independent and can either walk to where they need to be or make use of public transport .
Aviva’s Heather Smith said: "It's easy to see how parents could drive themselves round the bend with their children's busy social lives. This is due to the array of social engagements and friend's parties they are continually driving their children to and from.
"With parents having to make around 27 journeys a week for their children, it's no surprise that over a third of parents now rely on two or more cars to ferry their kids around. It's amazing they have any spare time left after the numerous family car rides."
LONDON, England - UK insurance company Aviva study showed that parents transport their children 202 483km before they are old enough to do it themselves.
If you're about to become parents, your job will also entail becoming a full-time chauffeur for the first 18 years of your child's life. According to the survey, parents make about 117 trips with an average of 1031km each month. Convert the distance and you’re looking at about 25 hours and ten minutes behind the wheel says the stats.
MONTHLY SCHEDULE
Besides the daily school trip, the study found that these trips include 28 family outings, 12 visits to friends' homes and 11 to sports activities – per month.
A further analysis shows six trips are set aside for birthday parties, five to social activities and four to music lessons. Because of these numerous activities, data shows that household needs for two cars have trebled since the 1970’s.
In total, British parents drive about 11 495km a year for the first five years of a child's life, 13 452km for next six years thereafter and another 10624km per year for children between the ages of 11 and 16. This totals 202 482km which is the same as driving from Johannesburg to Cape Town about 145 times.
In 1972, only 8% of parents had a car each, now, 36% of parents have a car each at home. Those parents who have children in primary school cover the most distance of about 1165km, said Aviva.
Parents with children in secondary school have the lowest figures of about 963km according to 1 000 parents who took the survey. Reason being, says the study, that teenagers are more independent and can either walk to where they need to be or make use of public transport .
Aviva’s Heather Smith said: "It's easy to see how parents could drive themselves round the bend with their children's busy social lives. This is due to the array of social engagements and friend's parties they are continually driving their children to and from.
"With parents having to make around 27 journeys a week for their children, it's no surprise that over a third of parents now rely on two or more cars to ferry their kids around. It's amazing they have any spare time left after the numerous family car rides."
