Parents of sporty children spend an average of £1,216 a year on fuel ferrying them to training sessions and matches, clocking up around 1,716 miles in the process. A survey of 2,000 mums and dads revealed they spend an average of three hours and 22 minutes every week acting as a taxi service to practices and games.
Football leads the way
Football emerged as the most popular sport that parents drive their children to, with 61% saying they regularly shuttle them to training and matches, followed by swimming (40%) and dance (18%). Three quarters admitted they have had to sacrifice something important to them — such as a social occasion, birthday celebration or work commitment — in order to put their children's sporting activities first.
Costs and frustrations
The study found that the biggest bugbears for parents when it came to driving were traffic congestion (28%), fuel and travel expenses (26%) and juggling it alongside work commitments (21%). Despite this, the vast majority consider it a worthwhile endeavour, with 91% agreeing that their child's involvement in grassroots sport has had a positive impact on them well beyond their physical fitness.
Confidence (66%), teamwork (63%) and social skills (56%) were the qualities parents most commonly noticed improving in their children as a result of playing sport. For 72% of parents, time spent behind the wheel ferrying their children to training sessions or matches has strengthened their relationship, and most admit they'll miss it once their children get older.
Potential savings
The key changes that would make travelling to sporting events easier include lower fuel or charging costs (41%), improved parking facilities (38%) and more local training and competition venues (24%). Meanwhile, the most sought-after vehicle features for sporting commitments are good fuel economy (40%), easy-to-clean seats and surfaces (31%), comfortable seating (30%) and ample boot space (28%).
Farrell Hsu, managing director for Chery UK, the car company which commissioned the research, said: "Grassroot sport plays a hugely important role in young people's lives. These findings show just how much dedication is required from parents behind the scenes, with parents logging an average of more than 1,700 miles a year behind the wheel to enable their children to take part. Football is by far the most popular activity these parents are driving to, and as the official automotive partner of AFC Bournemouth, we see just how sports bring families and local communities together."
Hsu added: "With parents spending an average of more than £1,200 a year on fuel, and more than three hours a week sitting behind the wheel, running costs and travel time will inevitably take a real toll on busy families. What stands out in the data is how local this driving is. For most parents, a full week of training runs and weekend fixtures comes in under 50 miles. Our Super Hybrid models offer between 56 and 91 miles of pure electric range depending on the vehicle, so for many families that whole week could be covered on electric power alone. For anyone able to charge at home, that has the potential to take a real bite out of the annual fuel bill."
