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A new study in the UK found that traditional family gatherings are falling victim to the cost of road travel. Most under threat is the traditional Sunday roast, with 6 in 10 families saying that they have missed attending the occasion.
And it's parents who are losing out on family get-togethers the most — with 30 per cent of Brits saying they simply cannot afford to visit mum and dad. A fifth of the men surveyed admitted that they would be happy to give gatherings at their mother-in-law’s house the boot, while almost 1 in 5 families said they had cancelled visits to their grandparents.
The Hyundai-sponsored study revealed that the average family now spends 756 pounds (A$1173) travelling 1719km to visit relatives every year. Petrol costs have soared a massive 53 per cent over the past five years from an average of 87.9p (A$1.37) a litre to 134.1p (A$2.08).
These rising costs have led to two in five drivers saying they had ruled out any kind of trip to see relatives living more than 150 miles (241km) away. But Hyundai's research reveals the closest family member for one in ten respondents lives over 100 miles (161km) away.
The study was conducted as part of Hyundai's research into the cost of motoring and its effects on driver habits. Feedback from drivers showed that families are losing out in other areas of their lives just to afford a visit. A sobering 35 per cent said that they cut back on family nights out to pay for fuel, while incredibly 14 per cent even admitted to cutting back on food to run their vehicle.
Driving standards were also revealed to have been dramatically affected. 1 in 5 drivers said that they regularly turned their ignition off in traffic and 27 per cent of drivers even admitted to letting their car freewheel down hills to save on petrol, a practice that is both dangerous and illegal.
Train travel was, perhaps surprisingly, the most popular alternative to car travel, with 43 per cent of respondents saying they would choose it over a road trip.
