Parents: Set Better Driving Examples for Your Kids

Most of the time, when we talk about fostering better driving habits, we’re focusing on our teenage drivers. After all, a full forty-three percent of teen drivers admit to texting while driving. However, our auto body shop in Seattle wants to remind all the parents out there that a lot of the responsibility should be falling upon them; indeed, it paints a sobering picture when you consider that the percentage of adults who admitted to texting while driving was at a whopping forty-nine.

According to a survey conducted by Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions, a surprising number of parents are engaged in unsafe driving practices while their kids are in the car. Eighty-three percent of students surveyed said that their parents were periodically guilty of risky driving behavior. Talking on a cellphone was the biggest offense, closely followed by speeding, with texting taking a distant third place. Sixty percent of teens said that they tried to stop this behavior, but a full forty-one percent said that they were ignored.

If this describes your own driving habits, take care to be more mindful in the future. After all, it’s not enough that you simply get your teen to his or her destination safely; you also need to set a proper example so that he or she will drive more safely when you’re not around.