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Three out of five motorists admit they have taken their eyes off the road to deal with distracting children, according to a new survey commissioned by the NRMA, in Australia.

Released ahead of the school holidays in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, the survey showed [no?] fewer than one in eight said they almost had a crash because they were distracted by children's antics in the back seat of the car. 

NRMA Insurance Chief Executive, Rick Jackson, said the results exposed the safety risks children could cause to drivers.

“The majority of the motorists surveyed (60%) said children's behaviour in vehicles left them feeling stressed and distracted,” Mr Jackson said. 

“These findings send a clear message to families in the lead-up to the school holidays – keep your kids occupied or risk crashing the car and possibly injuring your loved ones.

“This should be a wake-up call for all motorists.  They need to take responsibility for their own safety, and the safety of their family, friends and the community.”

NRMA Motoring & Services CEO, Tony Stuart, said nearly one in every five motorists surveyed became so distracted by children, they swerved out of their lane. This highlights why parents and carers should take certain steps to ensure children do not become distracting on car trips.

“School holidays can be an exciting time for children but they need to be aware that the driver has an important job to do,” Mr Stuart said.

“Motorists have told us that siblings fighting (83%) and children interfering with the driver (60%) are the main causes of distraction.  In fact, half of all motorists surveyed said they’ve actually had to stop the car because they were so distracted.

“Many children get bored over long journeys. This innocent behaviour could impact on the driver’s concentration and be unsafe.

“Families need to plan ways to keep kids occupied in the car and stop regularly these school holidays.”

The report found five popular strategies used by motorists to keep children occupied were:

• Having food and drinks on hand – 83%

• Playing family games, such as “I Spy” – 77%

• Having a selection of toys and games – 76%

• Planning regular stops to beat fatigue and let the kids run off energy – 72%

• Playing kids tapes and music – 64%

Source: NRMA