A recent survey commissioned by the ADAC Foundation has revealed a significant number of elementary school children are regularly transported to school by car. The research, conducted by komma Research and Consulting, polled 1,000 parents of children aged five to 15 via an online panel in July, ensuring a representative distribution of respondents based on the proportion of families with children across German federal states.
The findings indicate that 19% of elementary school students are driven to school daily, while another 9% are transported at least every other day. Interestingly, 58% of parents generally oppose regularly driving their children to school. This group primarily consists of those whose children walk, cycle, or use scooters for their commute.
Parents cited several reasons for transporting their children by car. The most prevalent reason was scheduling commitments after school (40%), followed by the school’s location on their work route (30%) and the expectation of saving time (22%). Inclement weather was also a frequently mentioned factor, cited by 32% of respondents. Safety concerns regarding children in traffic were a less common reason, mentioned by 12%.
The ADAC Foundation acknowledged that reducing the number of “parent taxis” will not be straightforward given these motivations. According to the survey, 22% of parents who daily drive their children to school stated their intention to continue the practice regardless.
Christina Tillmann, Managing Director of the ADAC Foundation, advocates for encouraging children to walk to school. “Children do not learn road safety from the backseat” she stated. “Those who trust their children to manage the journey independently are strengthening their safety, their independence and ultimately, promoting cooperation within traffic”.
