Active Parenting a Key Factor in Safe Teen Driving

Firm parenting can make an important difference in teens' driving safety, according to two new studies. The first study looked at the link between parenting styles and teen driving behaviors and attitudes; the second examined teens' behavior based on their access to a vehicle.

Researchers of the first study report that parents who set firm rules about driving and car usage in a helpful, supportive way:

• decreased by 50% the likelihood of their teens getting into a car accident and also decreased the odds that they would drink and drive
• doubled the odds that teens would wear a seatbelt
• decreased by half the likelihood that they would speed
• lessened by 30% teens' likelihood of talking or texting on a cell phone while driving

Parents reported to be most effective were those who enforced strict rules in a kind way, emphasizing safety concerns while also providing opportunities for their young drivers to earn more privileges as their driving skills progress.

The second study found that teens who have their own car or consider themselves the primary driver of a car are twice as likely to be in a collision than those who share a family car. While some 70% of new drivers receive primary access to a vehicle, the authors call the practice dangerous because of its association with risky driving behaviors. They recommend that parents delay such access during the first year of licensed driving as part of "a graded set of driving privileges" earned by novice drivers.