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Dads Sentenced to a Year Behind The Wheel

By the time his children are 18, the average Dad has spent the equivalent of a whole working year Taxi-ing his children around.

In fact modern Dads spend more time ferrying kids than almost anything else they do – apart from work and sleep. That’s more time than they spend in the garden, on DIY and even in the pub.

Dads clock up an average 25 miles a week on 2.33 journeys, taking their youngsters to school, sports and social events - or 2hrs 16mins driving. A fith (20%) of dads, however, admitted to undertaking a journey of over 100 miles and 7% over 200 miles.

Halfords Autocentre’s poll of 1000 Dads showed they drive 23,400 miles - the equivalent of a trip around the earth - in the 18 years before their children leave home.

The petrol cost at today’s prices works out at £3893 and if a father were charging for his time he’d be owed a year’s salary or £33,012.

The survey by Halfords Autocentres suggests the best Father’s Day present would be a break from driving.

A dedicated one in eight (17%) of fathers do more than five trips a week. Over four in five (81%) give lifts to the children of friends and neighbours.

Rory Carlin Halfords Autocentres Marketing Director said: "We spend a lot of our time caring for family cars to help customers live their lives on the move.

“We can't do anything about our kids' increasingly hectic social lives or the rising cost of fuel, but we can help by making routine servicing, maintenance and tyres affordable and accessible."

“We're working hard to bring down the cost of motoring because we understand that dedication comes at a cost, both in terms of the fuel used and wear and tear on the car itself.”

Notes to Editors:

More than 1000 fathers from across the UK were surveyed in June 2011

Figures used to calculate a year behind the wheel: 2.26 hrs (2hrs 16mins dad chauffering per week) x52 (weeks in a year) x18 (age of child) = 54 weeks (average working week is 37.5 hrs)

23,400 miles worked out by 25 miles (average dad distance per week) x 52 x18

Similarly petrol 23400 miles, divided by 37.2 (average mpg for Sierra and 1.8 Focus) x £5.93 (current price of a gallon from Petrolprices.com)

Earnings: average for man £30,440, figures from office of National Statistics

For more information contact:

Nicola Toulson

t:01527513464

e: nicola.toulson@halfords.co.uk

Halfords is both the UK’s largest specialist retailer of car parts and the nation’s leading operator of car servicing garages. Our ambition is to keep our motorist customers moving. 

Over 460 retail stores sell a wide range of car parts and will fit light bulbs, wiper blades and batteries while customers wait.

Our 240 Autocentres nationally offer motorists car servicing, repairs, tyres and MOT’s. They are committed to providing dealership quality work at affordable prices and see 600,000 customers every year, with over 8 out of 10 saying they would recommend us to a friend. Our expert service is backed with both a quality and price guarantee.