According to the AA, travelling by car is the usual mode of school travel for around a third of children. This is the primary reason why most parents seek reliable family cars but, as any parent who has braved the school run behind the wheel will know, it isn’t always an easy driving challenge, not least for the car in question. In fact, with 91% of parents claiming that there’s no effective school traffic management system in place, and 56% reporting ‘traffic chaos’ off the back of that, the school run can be the single most damaging process for a vehicle that, for the sake of your children’s futures, you need to keep up and running.

This is a problem, and it can see shortened lifespans and even unexpected breakdowns plaguing even the best family cars because of engine damage or even school gate smashes. Here, we’re going to consider how you can keep your vehicle in the best possible condition for guaranteed performance, despite all that school run madness. 

Seek alternative parking

A vehicle that goes into the lion’s den is going to get scratched at best, so it’s always best to avoid school-side drop-offs. Luckily, there tend to be a fair few alternative parking arrangements up for grabs. Even with young kids, something as simple as finding free parking a few blocks away might be worth the five-minute walk to the school gates (and could actually save you some time!) Equally, looking at driveways for rent around the school area on platforms like Facebook could see you getting up close without once putting your vehicle at risk from school-based road rage. 

Never leave it running

Leaving your engine running while you wait for the kids to emerge is not only bad for the environment, but it can also spell curtains for an engine that’s left idling day in and day out. As well as wasting your gas and burning up your motor oil, as little as ten minutes of idling could also lead to the deterioration of your spark plugs, head gasket, and more. That could leave you having to seek mechanical repairs that leave you off the road (and out of the school run) for untold periods. Don’t let it happen by making sure to always switch off the engine no matter how soon you think your kiddies might emerge. 

Spread the load

As car shares become the norm even in a school setting, it’s also well worth taking advantage of this car-saving benefit. By operating on a one-on-one-off basis with another parent, you can half the usage of your family car for school run purposes, not only freeing yourself more time for regular maintenance but also drastically reducing the wear that even this sometimes short trip can cause to your engine and sanity. 

School runs can seem like the bane of any parent’s life. But there’s no need to extend that stress to your vehicle. Ease at least some of the burden with these life-extending tips to make even the school run a bearable part of your day.