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Teens learn dangerous driving habits from their parents

On Behalf of | Oct 11, 2018 | Car Accidents |

Having safety-related rules for young drivers is not enough. Parents need to follow those rules themselves. When they don’t, studies have shown that teens just pick up the bad habits from their actions, and this is part of the reason why teens become dangerous drivers.

The study determined that around 37 percent of parents in the United States who have teen drivers will still get out their smartphones and use apps while they are behind the wheel. When researchers looked at the percentage of teens who would do the same thing, it was strikingly similar: 38 percent.

This suggests that a lot of teens who text and drive or browse social media are doing exactly what they watch their parents do. They may have spent their whole lives around this behavior, so it is no surprise that they do not realize just how dangerous it is.

Other activities that parents did at rates that were similar to teen drivers, or even higher, included drowsy driving, speeding and taking selfies.

Experts said that this was similar to parents trying to teach children about other acceptable and unacceptable activities, such as using profanity. Parents can tell their children that swearing is wrong and that they shouldn’t do it, but, if the parents feel fine using profanity around their kids, the children are eventually going to start doing it themselves. Parents with dangerous driving habits do exactly the same thing.

This study does help to show the risks you face on the roads in Georgia. If you get injured in a car accident, you may be able to seek compensation for your medical bills and other costs.

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