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NEW
STUDY: PARENTAL CONSEQUENCES SIGNIFICANTLY DETER DANGEROUS DRIVING BEHAVIORS
IN TEENS
Study finds that parents can profoundly impact a teen’s
decision to drink, drug and drive or engage in other risky driving behaviors,
particularly among boys
BOSTON
(September 19, 2006) – One in five teens is still drinking and
driving, and one in nearly eight teens is still using marijuana and
driving. That’s according to the seventh annual Teens Today
driving study just released by Liberty Mutual and SADD (Students Against
Destructive Decisions). But parents who set clear consequences –
and follow through on them – significantly reduce the likelihood
that their teen will engage in these and other unsafe behaviors behind
the wheel.
These driving results are part of Teens Today, an annual multi-part
research study that reports on teens’ behaviors, attitudes, and
decision-making about issues such as driving, drinking, drug use, sexual
activity, and family/peer relationships.
Overall, 19 percent of teens report driving under the influence of alcohol,
15 percent report driving under the influence of marijuana, and 7 percent
report driving under the influence of "other drugs." But teens
say parents who set expectations with clear consequences for them about
breaking the law while driving are less likely to have driven under
the influence of alcohol (16 percent vs. 29 percent), marijuana (14
percent vs. 18 percent), or other drugs (6 percent vs. 11 percent) than
are teens whose parents do not set any consequences.
And, further, teens who have never driven under the influence of any
illegal substance are a third more likely to say their parents will
follow through with those consequences than are teens who have driven
under the influence of either alcohol or marijuana (78 percent vs. 59
percent).
"It’s quite encouraging to see that parental involvement can
significantly improve teen driving statistics, a mission we’ve
been committed to for some time now," said Paul Condrin, Liberty
Mutual president, Personal Market. "And through this study, the
type of parental involvement that works is clear – parents need
to know the laws and teen-driving rules of their state, set clear expectations
with their teens about what safe driving is, and establish and enforce
those consequences should those laws be broken or expectations not be
met."
The
study finds that setting expectations and following through on consequences
may help prevent teens from getting into car crashes, which are the
leading cause of death for American teens – more than drugs, guns,
or any disease combined. Establishing consequences also cuts down on
the number of teens who engage in other unsafe driving behaviors:
- Teens
whose parents establish clear consequences for breaking family driving
rules are less likely to drive more than 5 mph over the speed limit
(44 percent) than are teens whose parents do not set consequences
(56 percent).
- Teens
whose parents establish clear consequences for breaking family driving
rules are less likely to drive with three or more passengers in a
car (36 percent vs. 42 percent) or eat or drink while driving (31
percent vs. 40 percent) than are their counterparts who do not have
any clear consequences set.
- Interestingly,
simply establishing consequences about talking on the cell phone while
driving does not significantly influence behavior. However, teens
who say their parents are likely to enforce any established consequences
for breaking their family driving rule about cell phones are significantly
less likely to talk on the cell phone while driving (37 percent) than
are teens who say their parents are unlikely to actually follow through
on any consequence (65 percent).
Parental
Power: Study Shows Parents Holding Back on Guidance
In
many instances, parents are actually present while teens engage in risky
driving habits. Even when adults are in the car with teens, the Liberty
Mutual/SADD study shows that teens engage in bad driving choices, such
as speeding (almost 50 percent of the time), talking on their cell phones
(about 20 percent of the time), and eating or drinking while driving
(almost 20 percent of the time).
"Parents can play an incredibly influential role in the driving
behavior of their teens," said Stephen Wallace, chairman and chief
executive officer of the national SADD organization. "Perhaps most
important is to set a good example for young drivers and to reinforce
their good driving habits by praising what they are doing right behind
the wheel."
Paying Special Attention to Our Teenage Boys
The Liberty Mutual/SADD driving study also found that boys are more
likely than girls to have driven under the influence of alcohol, marijuana,
and other drugs (32 percent vs. 25 percent), yet boys say their parents
are less likely to speak to them about driving safely. In addition,
parents are establishing the fewest consequences for their teenage boys
when it comes to this behavior.
"Older teen boys are more likely than girls to engage in bad driving
choices while adults are present," said Condrin. "While it’s
important to talk to both teenage girls and boys about safe driving,
parents should remember that boys are more at risk these days for destructive
driving."
What Parents Can Do
"While
young people across the country have done a remarkable job of helping
to reduce alcohol-related crash deaths among their peers by almost 60
percent since 1981, this new data makes clear that their work is not
done," said Wallace. "Too many teens continue to drink and
drug and drive, and parents must be relentless in talking to their teens
about this important issue."
The seventh annual Teens Today driving study builds upon six
years of previous research. Experts on teen driving behaviors, Liberty
Mutual and SADD offer these additional tips to help parents talk to
their teens.
- Know
your state’s Graduated Driver License law, including restrictions
on supervised driving, time of day, and passengers in the car and
enforce them.
- Set
family rules about driving, outline clear consequences for breaking
the rules, and follow through. Liberty Mutual and SADD suggest some
rules, if they are not covered by your state laws:
- No
friends in the car without an adult;
- No
driving after 10 p.m.;
- No
use of alcohol or other drugs;
- No
distractions while driving including eating, changing CDs, handling
iPods and putting on makeup; and
- No
cell phone use, including text messaging.
- Start
talking with children as young as 13 or 14 about driving and driving
safety. From focus groups, Liberty Mutual and SADD have learned from
parents of teen drivers that the best times to talk with teens about
driving safety are during the 1-2 years before they get their license.
- Continue
supervised driving once your child has received his or her license
and reinforce the rules and safe driving habits.
- Don’t
relent. Parents should continue the dialogue with their teens and
frequently reinforce the acute dangers of drinking and driving or
using drugs and driving.
Liberty
Mutual also provides a practical tool for families to safely manage
the formative teen driving process: "The Road Ahead: Stay Safe
at the Wheel." This kit, developed in cooperation with SADD
and RADD – "The Entertainment Industry’s Voice for Road
Safety" – and free to all families, includes a powerful video
of teens discussing their driving attitudes and behaviors before and
after viewing the HBO Family documentary "Smashed: Toxic Tales
of Teens and Alcohol." The kit also includes a guide with tips
for how to foster a discussion with teens about staying safe at the
wheel and a family safe driving pledge.
A
free copy of "The Road Ahead" is available by calling 1-800-4-LIBERTY
or any local Liberty Mutual office.
Methodology
Liberty
Mutual and SADD commissioned Guideline to conduct a quantitative survey
with high school students on a wide range of attitudes and behaviors
relevant to teens. An entire section of the survey was dedicated to
teen driving. The driving report focuses exclusively on the responses
of 903 teens with a driver’s license from a national sample of
26 high schools in April and May 2006. The relevant, driving-specific
findings can be interpreted at a 95% confidence interval with a +/-
3.3% error margin. Analysis of survey subgroups is subject to wider
error margins. Percentages in the report may add to more or less than
100% due to rounding error or occasions when multiple response answers
were accepted.
Research
Partners
Liberty
Mutual Group (www.libertymutual.com)
is a leading multi-line insurer in the U.S. whose largest line of business
is personal auto based on 2005 direct written premium. A top ten provider
of auto and home insurance to individuals, Liberty Mutual is an industry
leader in affinity partnerships, offering its personal lines products
to employees and members of more than 9,000 companies, credit unions,
and alumni and professional associations. Liberty Mutual Group ranks
102 on the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations in the United States.
The company, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, employs over 39,000
people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.
SADD, Inc. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) is the nation’s
premier peer-to-peer youth education organization, with thousands of
chapters in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. With a mission
of preventing destructive behaviors and addressing attitudes that are
harmful to young people, SADD sponsors programs that address issues
such as underage drinking, substance abuse, impaired driving, and teen
violence, depression, and suicide.
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