Strong correlation between behaviour of family members
Results from a new study conducted by Toyota and The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) suggest parents’ behaviour while behind the wheel can influence what kind of driver their children will be.
In the Teen Driver Distraction Study, more than 5,500 young drivers and parents in the United States were surveyed in order to shed light on frequently-discussed driving risks, as well as to identify ways to help parents be better role models as drivers, and help keep teen drivers safe.
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The survey references a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S.
The study included interviews with 400 pairs of teens and parents (dyads) from the same household. It concluded that, in general, parents who engage in distracting behaviours more frequently have teens who engage in distracting behaviours more frequently.
The results from these dyads show that what teens THINK their parents do while behind the wheel matters more than what parents SAY they do. For instance, while only one in 10 parents report using an electronic device for music while driving, a third of teens believe their parents do so.
Based on the study, 71 percent of teens, meanwhile, believe their parents read or write down directions while driving, yet only 55 percent of parents claim to actually do so.
“Driver education begins the day a child’s car seat is turned around to face front,” said Dr. Tina Sayer, Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) Principal Engineer and teen safe driving expert. “As the Study shows, the actions parents take and, by extension, the expectations they set for young drivers each day are powerful factors in encouraging safe behavior behind the wheel.”
She adds that “the one piece of advice I would give to parents to help them keep newly licensed drivers safe on the road it is to always be the driver you want your teen to be.”
The study also looked at parents’ perceptions of their teen drivers, and these results were similarly at odds. For example, just one percent of parents believe their children text while driving, when in reality, 26 percent of teen respondents said they read or send a text from behind the wheel.
Additionally, the study found that 24 percent of teens respond to a text message once or more every time they drive and 30 percent read a text or email just as often. One in five teens and one in 10 parents, meanwhile, admit to having extended, multi-message text conversations while driving.
