A survey from Students Against Destructive Decisions done in conjunction with Liberty Mutual Insurance found some interesting insight into the minds of teen drivers.
The study found that teens notice their parents participating in unsafe driving behaviors, and then these young drivers repeat these actions in almost equal amounts. Over 90 percent of the respondents say that their parents talk on cell phones while driving, and another 88 percent say they speed with 59 percent saying they text.
"The best teacher for a teen driver is a good parental role model," said Stephen Wallace, senior advisor at SADD. "Parents and teens should have an active and ongoing dialogue about safe driving behavior...But parents have to demonstrate good driving behavior from the onset so new drivers understand that safe driving rules apply to everyone equally."
The Today Show sums up the study by claiming that parents should start acting accordingly to combat the hypocritical messages that young drivers are getting.
In order to combat this bad behavior cycle, parents should create an open conversation with their teens about driving. Teaching young adults the importance of vehicle maintenance, proper car repair and healthy driving habits is essential to creating safe drivers.