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10/16/2008
AAA Survey Finds Parents Unaware of Crash Risk for Younger Teens
AAA offers tips for parents of children at varying stages of learning-to-drive process
Bellevue, Wash. (October 16, 2008) ñ Many parents allow their children to ride in cars under conditions they know are dangerous. Furthermore, parents are unaware of the increasing risk of dying in a car crash their young teens face well before they reach driving age. These are two of many gaps between parental knowledge, behavior and traffic safety facts revealed by a new AAA survey of parents of children ages 12 to 17.
An overwhelming majority of parents of teen drivers correctly identified the dangers of driving with multiple teen passengers (96 percent) or even one teen passenger (65 percent), yet nearly half of parents of teen drivers (47 percent) say their teen rides with another teen driver at least once a week. More than 1 in 7 (15 percent) parents of non-driving high school students allow their child to ride with a teen at least weekly, as do some (5 percent) parents of junior high students.
Parents who allow their young teens to ride with new teen drivers likely are unaware of the danger involved. Despite research showing crash risk begins to rise significantly at age 12, the survey found that nine out of 10 parents surveyed said that a child's risk of dying in a car crash does not significantly increase until at age 15 or later.
Even if their teen is not driving yet, parents need to make teen driver safety a priority,î said AAA CEO and President Robert L. Darbelnet. ìTeen crash risks increase long before teens start driving by themselves, so parents should talk to their children about being a safe passenger well before they reach driving age."
AAA surveyed parents whose oldest children were ages 12 to 17 and divided them into three groups based on their exposure to teen driving: parents of teens who are driving by themselves; parents of non-driving high school-age teens who do not have a driver's license and children who have a learner's permit; and parents of junior high school students.
Across all three categories, AAA found parents correctly identified dangerous driving conditions for teens such as driving with multiple teen passengers (96 percent), late at night (93 percent), after drinking alcohol/using drugs (98 percent), and while using a cell phone (97 percent). Parents properly identified as dangerous some less risky driving conditions, such as driving with one teen passenger (74 percent) and during the evening (74 percent), although parents whose teens are currently driving saw them as somewhat less risky (65 percent and 63 percent, respectively).
The complete survey including additional findings on parents' knowledge, attitudes and behavior can be downloaded at www.AAA.com/news.
We've made great strides in research identifying risky driving conditions for teens and in promoting graduated driver licensing to help states and parents reduce teen crashes and deaths,î said Darbelnet. ìFor National Teen Driver Safety Week, though, we're calling on parents to establish parent-teen driving agreements with their current or soon-to-be teen drivers. We're also providing concrete tips for parents to follow at each step of the teen driver process.î
Parent-teen driving agreements help families establish rules and consequences for driving before a teen is permitted to get behind the wheel. The AAA survey found most parents of teens legally allowed to drive alone (67 percent) are familiar with parent-teen driving agreements, yet less than one-third (31 percent) have actually established a parent-teen driving agreement with their teen. AAA offers parent-teen driving agreements at www.AAA.com/publicaffairs.
AAA offers the following tips for parents of teen drivers and soon-to-be teen drivers.
If your teen is not yet driving:
- Your child is safest not riding with a teen driver. If your teen must do so, it should be for necessary trips, without other teen passengers, not at night, and with a responsible driver.
- Help your teen recognize dangerous driving conditions, such as if the driver has been drinking, is tired, has multiple teen passengers, or is otherwise unsafe.
- Talk about being a safe, responsible passenger. Your teen should know to wear a seat belt; refrain from distracting the driver by talking, loud music, or horseplay; and to speak up if the driver is being unsafe.
If your teen is now or will soon be learning to drive:
- Learn your state licensing process then compare it to what AAA and other safety groups suggest. Most states fall short of what safety experts consider best practice. New teen drivers need lots of practice, measured in both hours of driving and months of having a learner's permit.
- Learn about parent-teen driving agreements so that you will be ready to use one with your teen when he or she is ready to drive. Work with your teen so that the agreement is not a surprise and is an expected part of the process.
- Select a quality driving school. Professional instructors can provide comprehensive training that addresses the mistakes new drivers are most likely to make.
- Talk about passenger safety. The safety tips for younger passengers hold true for high school students riding with their driving schoolmates.
If your teen is allowed to drive alone:
- Review your state's graduated driver licensing process and suggestions by safety experts on night driving and teen passenger limits.
- Establish or review your parent-teen driving agreement. Agreements are meant to change with time, rewarding the teen with additional privileges for safe driving.
- *Rules about seat belts, drunk drivers, and distracted drivers remain especially important. As teens get older, they become increasingly mobile and their exposure to dangerous conditions increases.
AAA is releasing the parent tips and survey findings as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 19-25). The week draws attention to car crashes as the leading cause of death for teens, killing more than 5,000 teens annually. AAA has been a long-time leader in teen driver safety by reaching out to parents of teens, promoting improved driver training, and lobbying for graduated driver licensing across all 50 states.
AAA and international research firm Synovate used an online panel to interview 1,350 adults whose oldest child is 12 to 17 years old. The parents were divided into three categories based on the driving status of their child and the child's likely exposure to driving age teens. Those categories were: Driving Solo (either with a full or intermediate license); Non-Driving High School (parents of non-driving high school-age teens who do not have a driver's license and children who have a learner's permit); and Junior High/Middle School.
AAA Washington has been serving members and the traveling public since 1904. The organization provides a variety of exclusive benefits, including roadside assistance, discounts, maps and personalized trip planning, to its 980,000 members. In addition, its full-service travel and insurance agencies provide products and services for members and the public. Additional information is available through the company’s 26 offices in Washington and northern Idaho, at www.AAA.com, or by calling 1-800-562-2582.
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