A new study, commissioned by one of Britain's leading banks, will make sobering reading for many parents. It found that in the past five years over 460,000 parents have been involved in a car accident while on the school run.
The survey found that during the busiest time of day, between 8:30am and 9am, there are around 5 million parents or carers making the school run.
And in a finding that could potentially have implications for car accidentcompensation claims, nearly one in four of survey participants lacked basic knowledge of the law concerning seat restraint requirements for children travelling in cars. Many media commentators have expressed their concerns that this could also lead to an increase in the number of personal injuries suffered by children in car accidents.
Speaking to the Press Association, a spokesperson for the bank said, "The familiarity of the route coupled with the often short distances travelled may make parents feel overly confident and therefore less aware of the dangers involved in the school run."
He went on to say that parents should 'treat every journey in the same manner' however familiar it might be, as well as to stress the importance of correctly fastening 'seats and boosters' in order to reduce the likelihood and potential seriousness of a car accident.
*Where replacement vehicle costs can be recovered from the insurance company of the person who caused the accident.
Where this person is untraceable or uninsured, or where there is a dispute over liability, a replacement vehicle cannot
be provided.
