Two new studies reveal that teen crashes and risky driving behaviors such as cell phone use, failure to wear seat belts, and drinking and driving are strongly linked with the way teens and parents communicate and approach rules about safety. The results of the studies by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm ® were published today in the journal Pediatrics.
The studies are based on the nationally-representative National Young Driver Survey of more than 5,500 teenagers. The first study shows that teens who said their parents set clear rules, paid attention to where they were going and whom they were with, and did so in a supportive way were:
- half as likely to crash
- twice as likely to wear seat belts
- 71 percent less likely to drive while intoxicated
- 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving
These findings are compared to teens who said their parents were less involved.
A second study found that teens who reported being the main driver of a vehicle were twice as likely to be involved in a crash, compared with teens who said they shared a vehicle with other family members. Nearly 75 percent of the teens surveyed reported being the main driver of a car.
"Once they're behind the wheel, teens have ultimate responsibility for their behavior" says Kenneth Ginsburg, MD, MSEd, co-author of the study. "But kids who said their parents set rules in a supportive way were half as likely to crash compared with teens who saw their parents as less involved."
According to the researchers, there are specific things parents can do to keep teens safer around driving: set clear rules about driving; talk with kids about where they're going and who they're with; and make sure teens know the rules are in place because you care about them and their safety - not because you wish to control them. This approach may make it more likely they will tell you what is going on in their lives, helping you better follow through on the rules you set."
Approximately half of the teens surveyed reported that their parents consistently set rules, paid attention to where they were going and who they would be with in a way that was supportive.