Vauxhall and Radio DJ Edith Bowman have launched ‘Backseat Bedtime’ to help with long car journeys over the festive period.

The series of narrated popular children’s stories by author Tracey Corderoy aim to ease car journeys for parents, with over 12 million cars on the road during peak Xmas times. More Brits embark on long drives over Christmas and the New Year than at any other time of the year according to an 2014 RAC survey.

Unsurprisingly, three quarters of parents say they find these long car journeys stressful, with the majority (80 per cent) saying they find it hard to keep their little ones amused. To deal with this stress, half of parents (48 per cent) time long journeys to coincide with bedtime and over half (56 per cent) put their children in their pyjamas before setting off, hoping they will sleep straight through.

Narrated by mum of two, Bowman, the content, which can be streamed as audio or video content through Vauxhall’s in-car system OnStar, has been created to showcase the new levels of connectivity available across the Vauxhall range but also aims to minimise stress over the busy Christmas period.

The three stories – Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam, Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Cat Burglar and Hubble Bubble Granny Trouble – from author Tracey Corderoy and independent publishers Nosy Crow, were chosen for their popularity, and follow the exploits of two robber dogs who turn good, and a very peculiar granny.

Edith Bowman said: “Reading or listening to stories has always been something I've done with my kids from a very early age, both at home or on our travels. It's one of my favourite things to do as a parent, so being a bedtime storyteller was a dream for me. The idea is brilliant, using that time when kids are stuck in the car to entertain them, help them get some rest and give parents some peace!”

Sara Nicholson, OnStar Program Lead for Europe commented, “Vauxhall OnStar is a personal on-board assistant available across our vehicle range. It offers Wi-Fi capability for up to seven devices, vehicle data visible on your phone, stolen vehicle assistance, automatic crash response and much more.  Technology needs to enhance our customers everyday lives and for us at Vauxhall, the little things like quiet, hassle-free car journeys with young children are worth every penny.”

The backseat bedtime stories are available to view through the Vauxhall website: www.vauxhall.co.uk/backseatbedtime