THE COST OF THE TAXI OF MUM AND DAD
by Content Team |
posted 19 August 2022
Parents in the UK are spending over £2,400 every year, or £46.15 a week, driving their children to different activities such as parties and hobbies, according to a new study. As petrol prices continue to soar in the UK, car finance experts at Zuto conducted research to uncover just how much parents are spending carting their kids around to various activities and events.
The most expensive activities for parents
Looking at the average number of hours spent driving their children to different places and comparing this to the cost of fuel per mile, the research revealed that the school run is the most costly for parents, amounting to £642.25 every year. Trips to see friends or dropping them off at parties is the next biggest expense for parents which could be costing parents an eye-watering £607.72 a year.
As well as driving our own children around, parents that drive their children’s friends may be shocked to discover that this could be costing them an additional £2,300.67.
Almost one in five parents are driving children over 150 miles per month
The research also found that nearly one in five parents (18%) are driving their children 150 miles or more per month, highlighting just how much time parents spend taking their children from A to B. For example, for social activities such as seeing friends or going to parties, over half of parents in UK (55%) drive their children between 1-3 hours a week. Additionally, for hobbies and activities outside of school, over one in 10 of parents (12%) drive over 3 hours a week. Overall, nearly one fifth of parents (18%) are driving their children 150 miles or more per month.
Commenting on the research, Lucy Sherliker, Head of Customer at Zuto says: “Despite the abundance of public transport options in our modern-day society, parents still choose to spend a substantial amount of time in their busy schedules taking tehri children to various activities. Whilst looking at various variables i.e. location, we have highlighted just how much time parents spend being ‘taxi of mum and dad’ and the possible reasons for this.”
