Nearly 60% of high school students think their parents are the biggest influence on their driving.
Okay boys and girls what are you learning from watching your parents drive?
If the latest survey on safe driving habits is any indication, you are learning plenty. Unfortunately, it is an education in negative behaviors.
Liberty Mutual Insurance has just released an analysis that claims to show that moms and dads are not exactly setting good examples as the drive. Sixty nine percent of parents of teen drivers report they practice at least two dangerous or distracting behaviors while driving, and nearly half do at least three.
The survey is particularly critical of dads, who are more likely to be guilty of unsafe driving habits. Three-quarters of the fathers surveyed admit to at least two distracting or dangerous driving behaviors, compared to 63% of the mothers. Dads are significantly more likely to be distracted than moms are by changing the radio station using the radio dial or tuner (61% compared with 48% of moms) and using a GPS system (39% vs. 26% of moms).
“Teens get safe driving examples and advice from many sources, television ads, driving instructors, friends and family members, but no one more than mom or dad,” says Dave Melton, a driving safety expert with the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. “And if they grow up watching their Mom or Dad speed, talk on their cell phone, text and email, or pay more attention to what’s on the radio than their driving, they are going to think it’s okay to do the same thing.”
Dads also are significantly more likely than moms to read an e-mail on a PDA (6% vs. 2 %), take and upload pictures with their cell phone (7% vs. 2%), and even post updates to their Facebook or MySpace profiles (4% vs. 1%) while driving.
Other distracting or dangerous behaviors among parents include:
- 59% talk on cell phones
- 42% speed
- 39% listen to loud music
- 17% text or email using a PDA
Parental enforcement starts with setting safe driving expectations, according to the insurance company, and the survey again finds dads are less likely than moms to encourage their teens to practice safe driving in general. While 85% of moms discuss safe driving often with their teen drivers, only 73% of dads have had the same conversation.
“Learning the rules of the road isn’t like learning how to throw a baseball or ride a bike where parents can teach the basic skills and leave their children to further develop the technique. Safe driving goes beyond learning a skill set, it’s a two way street and requires daily precautions and parental enforcement with clear rewards and consequences,” says Stephen Wallace, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Chairman and CEO. “While moms are more likely to continue to treat safe teen driving as a priority after their teens pass their driving tests, dads tend to let driving enforcement slip.”
Past Liberty Mutual/SADD research found that nearly 60% of high school students think their parents are the biggest influence on their driving and moms are indeed the better enforcers of safe driving rules. That research shows that more than half of teen drivers (58%) say that mom follows through on consequences for breaking driving rules more than dad.
Since 1991, Liberty Mutual and SADD have collaborated on research and solutions to help families stay safe behind the wheel. Parent involvement, including open lines of communication with their young drivers, is important in helping teens maintain safe driving habits. Parents can easily access resources to help facilitate a responsible driving conversation at www.LibertyMutualTeenDriving.com.
There is a customizable parent/teen safe driving contract created by SADD at the site, as well as tips on how to talk to teens about driving distractions and dangers such as cell phones, text messaging, speeding, and alcohol and drug use. Also included are video demonstrations of safe driving techniques, state-by-state teen driving laws, individual car safety scores, tips on buying and caring for a car, and an exclusive 50% discount for teens to take the National Safety Council’s online Defensive Driving Course.