Electric cars best for getting children to sleep, study finds
Parents that have switched to EVs say their current cars are better at helping kids fall asleep than ICE vehicles, according to research by Citroën UK.
In a study of 2,000 UK parents with babies and young children, 56.4% of those owning an electrified vehicle said their child found it either as easy or easier to nod off in their current car, compared to petrol or Diesel models they had previously owned. Just 11.9% said an electrified vehicle made it harder to get their children off to sleep, while 15.8% were unsure either way. Nearly half (44%) of all the parents surveyed said they had taken their child on a short car journey specifically to help them fall asleep.
Citroën UK’s research also highlighted how effective using a car can be to help kids have a snooze, with the data showing that on average it takes a child 16½ minutes to fall asleep in a car, with 96% of parents saying their child typically falls asleep in 30 minutes or less.
The top factors that parents felt were most beneficial in helping babies and young children fall asleep on a car journey, were the gentle movements of the vehicle on the road (46%), a comfortable in-car temperature (41%) and a comfortable car seat (40%). More than a third of parents (34%) told Citroën that they find a smooth drive to be the most important factor to help their child nod off.
Eurig Druce, Citroën UK’s Managing Director, said: “For new parents, getting their baby off to sleep is often a challenge. Taking a child for a short drive in a car is a tried and tested method for many parents, and our research shows it can help younger children fall asleep quicker than at home. The smooth and silent drive from electric vehicles creates an even more calming environment for children and parents alike. Citroën is committed to offering an electrified variant of every vehicle in the range by 2025. So, everyone can rest assured, our models will continue to provide a calm and relaxing experience for the whole family for many years to come.”
