Parents Warn Against Reckless Driving, But Ignore Own Advice

 Posted on September 04, 2014 in Personal Injury

A recent study conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Students Against Destructive Behaviors (SADD) has found that while many parents lecture their children about the dangers of texting and driving or driving under the influence, they aren’t so quick to take their own advice.

Participants in the study included more than 2500 11th and 12th grade students from around the country, 1,000 parents of high school students and several focus groups from Dallas and Philadelphia.

The results of the surveys show that parents are often engaging in many of the dangerous driving habits they warn their teenagers about. Behaviors such as not using seat belts, reading and sending text messages while driving and driving after drinking alcohol are all behaviors that teens said their parents are engaging in while behind the wheel. And almost half of those teens surveyed said their parents continued those risky behaviors even after they asked their parents to stop.

The breakdown of dangerous driving behaviors the parents admitted to included:

• 86 percent admitted to driving and talking on a cell phone
• 80 percent admitted to speeding
• 40 percent admitted to reading and sending text messages while driving
• 34 percent admitted to driving after drinking alcohol
• 21 percent admitted to not wearing seat belts while driving

Over 80 percent of teens said their parents were guilty of dangerous driving behaviors when the teens were in the vehicle with them. When teens were asked about their parent’s dangerous driving behaviors, their answers had higher percentages than their parents’ responses. Almost 60 percent of teens said they have been in the vehicle while their parents were texting and driving, yet only 40 percent of parents admitted to doing it. And while only 21 percent of parents said they did not wear seat belts, according to the teens, that number was at 41 percent.

If you have been injured in car accident caused by a negligence driver, contact an experienced Hartford personal injury attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for pain and loss.