Even though car accidents remain the leading cause of death for teens and young adults, many families may be underestimating the dangers close to home, a new national poll suggests.
According to the National Poll on Children’s Health by the University of Michigan Health Center CS Mott Children’s Hospital, one in three parents are worried that their teen or young adult driver will cause an accident.
However, nearly all parents believed their children drove as well or better than other young drivers, and relatively few parents said they penalized their teens for risky driving behavior.
Our report suggests a disconnect between parents’ concerns about dangerous teen driving and their confidence in their children’s driving skills. ”
Sarah Clark, MPH, Mott Paul Co-Director
Dangerous behavior is common
The nationally representative report includes responses from 1,780 parents of children aged 16 to 25 surveyed in February. Most parents report their teen or young adult driving, and nearly two-thirds say their child drives most days.
More than half of parents say they have witnessed their child’s dangerous driving behavior at least once. Almost half have experienced aggressive driving such as speeding or distracted driving, and one in four have observed distracted driving such as texting or multitasking.
Additionally, 17% of parents have seen their child drive while impaired, such as when drowsy, upset, or under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.
“Distracted, impaired and aggressive driving are the leading causes of crashes,” Clark said. “Even actions that seem trivial, such as glancing at your phone or driving while tired, can significantly slow your reaction time and increase your risk of a crash.”
Parents of teens ages 21 to 25 are more likely to report distracted or impaired driving than parents of teens ages 16 to 20.
Confidence outweighs concerns
Despite these observations, 96% of parents rate their child’s driving as average or better than others. Only 4% say their child is a worse driver than their peers.
Even parents who have observed distracted or impaired driving tend to give their children similar ratings as parents who have never witnessed such behavior. And, in fact, parents who witnessed aggressive driving were less likely to rate their children as worse drivers than their peers.
“Many parents don’t make the connection between risky driving behavior and being a good driver,” Clark said. “In many cases, parents engage in similar risky driving behaviors and may not view them as dangerous.”
Few parents take action
One in three parents express concerns about young drivers sharing the road, but only one in four report taking steps to address their children’s driving behavior. Actions include installing surveillance devices, restricting driving privileges, denying family members access to their cars, or threatening to stop paying their car insurance.
Experts stress that parent involvement remains important, especially since driver education requirements vary by state, with some states allowing online instruction and some states not requiring formal driver education at all.
Although most states have hands-free laws that prohibit texting while driving, other distractions such as eating, grooming, and interacting with passengers are still prevalent and dangerous, Clark said.
As teens and young adults become more independent on the road, Clark encourages families to continue talking about safe driving and take concerns seriously before preventable tragedies occur.
“Parents are often the most influential driving instructors for teens. Setting clear expectations, modeling safe driving, and enforcing consequences when necessary can make a big difference,” Clark said.
sauce:
Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan
