Driving habits of teens and young adults

Implications

Parenting challenges do not end when a child reaches the legal age of adulthood; this is especially true for areas like driving, where skills and habits are still developing. Driver’s education requirements and formats have shifted in recent years; while many states still require completion of a state-approved driver’s education course, some permit online instruction or do not require formal driver’s education at all. As a result, parents often play a larger role in teaching their children the nuances of driving and instilling safe driving habits.

Over half of parents in this Mott Poll observed their child engaging in distracted, impaired, or aggressive driving. While parents who observed these behaviors expressed more worry that their child might cause an accident, they did not give lower ratings of their child’s driving ability. Moreover, while half of parents had observed their teen or young adult child engage in risky driving behaviors, only one in three worried about their child causing an accident. This suggests that parents may underestimate the risks posed by distracted, impaired, or aggressive driving.  

Distracted driving is a major cause of crashes, and a factor in accidents that injure pedestrians. Most laws focus on distractions posed by cell phones. More than half of US states have enacted “hands-free” laws that ban handheld cell phone use while driving, and nearly all states prohibit text messaging behind the wheel. However, these laws do not encompass other common distractions, such as eating, drinking, talking with passengers, or personal grooming. These actions are so commonplace that many teens, young adults, and parents may not appreciate the risk they pose.

One in seven parents have witnessed their teen or adult child drive when in a state that could be described as impaired. All states prohibit driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08 and maintain restrictions on other substances. Public service announcements highlight the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol or other substances, pointing to strategies such as designated drivers and ride-share services to avoid impaired driving. However, some forms of impairment are less widely recognized. Fatigue and strong emotions, such as anger or distress, also can impair reaction time and decision-making at a level similar to alcohol consumption. Parents should help their teen and young adult children appreciate the risks of all kinds of impairment, and can help by suggesting alternate strategies.

Nearly half of parents have observed their teen or adult child engage in aggressive driving – most often speeding, but also tailgating or exhibiting road rage. A surprising finding from this Mott Poll is that parents reported similar levels of aggressive driving for teens as for young adults; this suggests that speeding, tailgating, and other types of aggressive driving may be perceived as normal.

Relatively few parents in this Mott Poll said they imposed consequences for their teen or young adult child’s driving behaviors. However, consequences can be an effective tool for changing behavior. For young drivers, using a monitoring device provides objective evidence that parents can use to point out how often they engage in aggressive driving. Restricting driving privileges reminds teens and young adults of the importance of safe driving.

In trying to address their child’s driving behaviors, parents may be confronted with their own driving habits. It may be tempting for parents to argue that they have enough driving experience. While experience is helpful in many driving situations, it does not ameliorate the very real risks of distracted, impaired or aggressive driving.