IT'S THAT time of year, when schools reopen after the summer holidays, and motorists complain about the extra time their rush hour journeys are taking.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists recently said rush hour traffic grows 20 per cent when parents are driving their children to school. And they are calling for those parents to drive and park with more care.

But are motorists right to blame traffic chaos on mums and dads doing the 'school run'?

The Chorley Citizen asked you what you think.

Angry Chorley resident Marian Campbell said: "I think it's atrocious. These children can't be healthy. And the traffic caused on Southport Road is unbelievable.

"My husband goes to Hutton every day and he has to go earlier when children are back at school."

She said: "I would like more children to walk to school -- we are talking 11-16-year-olds. Surely it's a good thing and it's healthier for them. cars cause such a lot of fumes as well."

But father-of-two Scott Sharp of Botany disagreed. "I do the school run most mornings. The school is about three quarters of a mile away and my daughter is only six and she can't walk all that way." Scott added that he also drops off his other daughter, who is two, at nursery.

He said he could understand though why other motorists get annoyed. "If parents only live round the corner from the school, fair enough," he said.

"But if I walked it would take me about half an hour there and half an hour back. And if it's raining you don't want your kids arriving at school wet through."

Chorley pensioner Joseph Powell remember how he used to get to lessons. "I had to walk about half a mile," he said.

"I still had to go even if it was raining," he added, explaining that truants were soon caught out by a strict school board. "It's about time children got on their bikes!" he laughed. "And if they are near the school they could walk."

Kathleen and Alan Hall from Pemberton, Wigan are parents, but Kathleen said: "I don't think dropping children off by car is causing a problem. It's not always safe for them to walk. And biking is not an alternative."

Alan agreed: "The traffic is so fast that it is a problem getting your kids to school safely if they're on bikes. But a lot of the schools do not have adequate parking facilities which does cause chaos."

Chaos is one thing Chorley man Keith Edwards prefers to avoid. He said: "I make my living as a driver and when school children are on their holidays things are different on the road from 8.30-9.30am -- things are moving.

"I would think walking is beneficial to the children, but people have to use their cars if they live in outlying districts.

"My wife used to walk our children to school, but now when children get to secondary school age there are school buses or they could walk. The vast majority don't need to get in a car," he said.

Chorley mother Wendy Leigh said she had not given the matter much thought. "Joshua is too young for school yet," she said. "He is only two and a half. But I suppose parents have to do it, don't they?" she said.