Mums are most stressed at 8.25am, according to a study of 2,000 mums across the UK and Ireland commissioned by Uniroyal Tyres. The research shows mums consider 8.25am, when on the school run to be the worst part of their day as they struggle with getting the kids to school on time. Four in ten mums claim the school run is enough to make the most patient of people lose their cool.
Getting the children out of bed and into their uniform, packing the school bags and encouraging everyone to eat all of their breakfast means mums are frazzled before they even get out the door.
And in a rush to get to school on time, 45 percent of stressed mums have shouted at other drivers in a fit of road rage. Forty-two percent of mums have even snapped at the kids on the way to school, regardless of whether they are behaving or not.
“Driving is something that requires concentration and when you add wet weather into the mix the situation can get tricky," says Paddy Murphy, general manager in Ireland of Continental, the maker of Uniroyal tyres. “One in five mums drive the kids to school when it’s raining, when they would normally walk. This adds to the cars on the road, and with the distractions and stress generated, extra care is essential. All drivers need to increase the distance between themselves and the vehicle in front to account for increased stopping distances in the wet weather.”
Bad weather was also revealed to play a part in heightening mums’ stress levels. Nearly eight in 10 hate driving in snow and ice and 44 percent avoid getting in the car when it’s foggy.
Another third find the winter sun and its glare on wet roads difficult, whilst three in 10 feel on edge driving in the rain. One in five dislike driving in the dark.
