They suffer from sleepless nights, constant interruptions and mounting stress levels - but parents are among the safest drivers on the road, according to new research from Privilege Insurance.

The findings reveal that parents driving with children in their car were half as likely to have an accident or breach road safety rules as the average driver.

The tendency to break the speed limit drops when a child is in the car.

Just over half the parents surveyed (53%) admitted to having exceeded the speed limit over the past five years with a child present, in comparison with three quarters (77%) of all drivers.

Almost half (45%) of all drivers admitted to having lost concentration while driving, but this number fell to just three in 10 (29%) when specifically looking at parents.

Similarly, the number of mums and dads who confessed to taking their eyes off the road was 18% and the number who admitted drifting out of their lane 11% lower than the average.

In all, three quarters of parents acknowledge their driving behaviour alters when their child is in the car with 58% saying they drive more safely and a third (34% becoming more likely to adhere to road regulations and laws.

And it is mums that are twice as concerned as dads about being stopped by the police in front of their kids, and more concerned about their children witnessing an accident. But nearly all parents (92%) agree they drive more carefully to keep their little ones safe. Two thirds (63%) do so because they value the life of their child over that of their own, while over half (54%) drive better to set a good example.

  • Privilege surveyed 2,233 drivers in the UK in May.