Auto Insurance
2025 School Drop-Off and Pickup Report
Although school may offer a much-needed reprieve for parents of young children, determining how to get them there or home can be challenging.
In fact, over half (52%) of parents with kids in kindergarten through 12th grade who they drive to school or pick up find the processes frustrating, according to a new ValuePenguin survey.
Here’s what else we found.
On this page
- Key findings
- Parents who drive (or pick up) their kids are frustrated
- Majority of parents don't favor driving or carpooling
- Parents who don’t drive their kids switched transportation recently
- Those who drive also made the switch recently
- Choosing your child’s mode of transportation: Top expert tips
- Methodology
Key findings
- School drop-off and pickup are riddled with frustration for parents who drive. Over half (52%) of parents with kids in kindergarten through 12th grade who they drive to school (or pick up) find the processes frustrating, with most blaming other drivers. 61% of frustrated parents say congestion is an annoyance, ahead of distracted drivers (44%) and drivers breaking the law (44%). Additionally, 44% of drivers say drop-offs and pickups prevent them from doing other tasks.
- Most parents with young kids in school think students should take the bus (or another mode). 63% agree that students should be encouraged to take the bus or another mode rather than driving or carpooling. But just 44% say their children primarily take the bus. Regardless of how they commute, 65% worry about their child’s safety when commuting.
- Almost half (49%) of those who don’t drive their kids to school or pick them up made the switch recently. When asked why they switched, 29% said their children were old enough to go by themselves, 18% chose to save money on gas and 15% wanted to encourage their children to live a more active lifestyle.
- However, many switched to driving or carpooling recently, too. About a third (36%) of parents who drive their kids to school or pick them up cite this. Meanwhile, 48% of parents with young kids in school say they’ll change their drop-off methods in the future. And 48% worry about pollution caused by school commutes.
Parents who drive (or pick up) their kids are frustrated
Parents with kids in kindergarten through 12th grade are frustrated with school drop-off and pickup. Of those who drive their kids to or from school, 52% find the processes frustrating.
Of these frustrated parents, 61% say congestion is an annoyance, followed by distracted drivers (44%) and those breaking the law (44%).
ValuePenguin auto insurance expert Divya Sangameshwar says that frustration is understandable.
"The long waits associated with the congestion add to driver stress, and stressed-out drivers are more likely to be aggressive," she says. "They’re more likely to make sudden lane changes, or even participate in road rage. Stress also leads to distracted driving, which increases drivers’ risk of crashing."
Some parents blamed the children, with 38% saying children running on the road is an annoyance. Meanwhile, 37% say driving to or from school takes too long, with cars double parked (30%), insufficient infrastructure (24%) and a lack of crossing guards (20%) behind.
At the end of the list, 13% say their children take too long to get ready, and 6% believe school drop-off and pickup rules are too many — and hard to follow.
Additionally, 44% of those who do drop-offs or pickups say it takes time away from things they need to do — like careers or household chores — while 40% say school runs take time away from things they want to do — like hobbies and working out.
With that in mind, 64% of those who drive their kids say their commute takes less than 30 minutes, while 32% say it takes 30 minutes to an hour.
Majority of parents don't favor driving or carpooling
Regardless of whether they drive their kids or not, 63% agree students should be encouraged to take the school bus or get to school through other methods outside of parents driving or carpooling. Fewer parents make their kids walk the walk, though, as just 44% say their children primarily take the bus and 9% have their kids bicycle, walk or take public transportation.
Generally, Sangameshwar says having your child take the bus is often safest, though parents have their concerns.
"School buses are built with safety in mind," she says. "They’re painted yellow to be easily spotted on the road by drivers. School buses are also reinforced and have high seat backs to protect the passengers in case of a crash. And there are laws to protect children while they get on and off a school bus."
Like all commute methods, school buses aren't perfect: Parents deal with concerns like buses coming too early (affecting their children’s sleep) and not always being able to track where they are during inclement weather. Meanwhile, overcrowding and bullying are other concerns.
Ultimately, 65% worry about their child’s safety when commuting, regardless of how they get to school.
Parents who don’t drive their kids switched transportation recently
Many who don’t drive their kids to school recently freed themselves from drop-off and pickup, at 49%.
As far as why they switched, 29% said their children were old enough to go by themselves — the most common response. Following, 18% wanted to save money on gas and 15% wanted to encourage their children to live a more active lifestyle. Meanwhile, 14% said school drop-offs took too long, 9% recently moved to a place where school was more accessible for their kids, 5% said the school discourages car drop-offs and 4% lost access to a car.
Those who drive also made the switch recently
Many parents also switched to driving or carpooling recently, with about a third (36%) of parents who now drive their kids to school or carpool reporting this.
Whether they just started driving or carpooling or they just moved away from it, neither group is set in stone. In fact, 48% of parents with young kids in school say they’ll change their drop-off methods in the future.
Choosing your child’s mode of transportation: Top expert tips
Safety is always king when it comes to commuting. However, it’s worth thinking about insurance implications when choosing how your child gets to school.
For example, parents who are part of a carpooling agreement may not be aware that they face liability risks, Sangameshwar says. "Carpool drivers aren’t covered by the school bus service’s insurance policy, they undertake the liability risk of having additional passengers in their car, and they could encounter huge medical bills if the child they’re transporting gets seriously injured in a crash and they have insufficient liability coverage," she says.
With that in mind, here are a few tips for your child’s commute:
- Obey speed limits and traffic rules in school zones. Most school zones have lowered speed limits and clear stop signs to protect children. These zones are often marked with signs or flashing lights, and law enforcement officers strictly enforce these limits. Failure to obey can result in hefty fines and a steep increase in your auto insurance premiums.
- Keep up with school bus safety. If driving near a school bus, always maintain a safe distance from the bus and stop when the bus does, even if it’s in the opposite lane. Failing to stop puts you at risk of hitting a child crossing the road and can result in severe penalties like fines, points on your driving record and higher premiums.
- Remember that good driving habits lower auto insurance rates. Auto insurance premiums are due to rise 7.5% in 2025, according to our State of Auto Insurance report, meaning good driving is more important than ever. "Practicing safe driving habits (including during the highly stressful school drop-off) is something your insurance company will reward you for in the form of safe driving discounts," Sangameshwar says. "Remaining accident-free will also entitle you to discounts."
Methodology
ValuePenguin commissioned QuestionPro to conduct an online survey of 661 U.S. consumers with kids younger than 18 — including 601 with kids in kindergarten through 12th grade — from Nov. 19 to 21, 2024. The survey was administered using a nonprobability-based sample, and quotas were used to ensure the sample base represented the overall population. Researchers reviewed all responses for quality control.
We defined generations as the following ages in 2024:
- Generation Z: 18 to 27
- Millennial: 28 to 43
- Generation X: 44 to 59
- Baby boomer: 60 to 78