If you ride your bicycle to work, you may be on the road at the same time as parents preoccupied with the school run. If you are, it’s important to understand how dangerous that time can be.
You might think that parents who are taking their children to or from school will be motivated to drive extra carefully because they want to ensure no harm comes to their kids. Yet the simple fact is that children themselves can present a big distraction to the parent driving them.
What does distraction by child passengers look like?
If you have kids yourself, you likely have some idea of how demanding of your attention they can be at times. The school run can be a boring time for kids, and it often also involves them being up and out when they’d rather be at home in bed. Thus, they can be more demanding of a parent’s attention than normal. For example:
A child might pose their parent numerous questions on the way to school, such as what they’ve packed for lunch, or whether they really have to go to math class. Alternatively, they might remember that they have forgotten something they need for school, and implore their parent to turn back so they can get it.
Another thing that could distract a parent is their child’s dress or grooming. A parent might catch a glimpse in the mirror of what their teenage daughter is wearing to school, and a heated discussion about whether it is suitable to go to school like that may ensue. Or maybe they just realize that their young child has spilled some of their breakfast on their clothes, or has not brushed their hair properly.
Then there is the whole pressure of getting the kids up in the morning and to school on time. Parents often have to nag their children to hurry up. They may have to remind them to check that they have everything. It can mean that the parent’s head is a little all over the place when they get behind the wheel, so they may not be as focused on the road as they should.
If you find yourself in a collision with a parent on the school run, it’s important to remember that however apologetic they are, they may have been distracted by their kids, and that might be why the collision happened. With legal guidance to understand how to build a claim, you can increase your chance of getting any compensation due to you.
