Smart Parent Involvement Key in Preventing Teen Driving Deaths

New Allstate Foundation Survey Suggests Parents Unknowingly Contribute to the Problem

NORTHBROOK, Ill., March 15 -- A recent national survey conducted by The Allstate Foundation shows that while parents know the No. 1 killer of teens is car crashes caused by teen drivers, the majority of parents do not understand the main causes of these crashes or may not be aware of laws that are intended to protect their teens. The survey also found that although parents agree they must play a significant role in preparing their teens to drive, many parents still: delay safe driving conversations with their teens until shortly before licensure, think their teens are immune to the risk of car crashes, allow their teens to drive or ride in dangerous conditions and model unsafe behavior behind the wheel.

The national survey of more than 1,000 parents of teens ages 15 to 17 features an in-depth look at parents' knowledge of the teen driving issue and the roles they play in preparing their teens for this important milestone, from training to after licensure.

"The Allstate Foundation research provides a unique understanding of how parents are impacting the teen driving epidemic and reveals insights into approaches parents can take to protect their teens as drivers and passengers," according to Allan F. Williams, retired chief researcher for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"The Allstate Foundation is committed to helping parents prepare their teens to drive and protect them once they're on the road," said George Ruebenson, president of Allstate Protection. "By sharing these survey findings, we hope parents will be more informed and play an active role with their teens and other parents to ultimately make our communities safer and stronger."

Meaning Well, But Misinformed

According to the survey, nearly 50 percent of parents polled think crashes involving teens result from drunk driving. In reality, the majority of crashes are caused by driver error, speeding and driving with distractions. Additionally, while most parents surveyed feel prepared to teach their teens the rules of the road, 60 percent say they have never heard of or are only vaguely aware of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. Intended to protect novice drivers while they are learning, typical provisions of GDL laws include an extended supervised driving period and restrictions on late-night driving and driving with teen passengers during the initial months of licensure.

Simple Parenting Strategies

"As parents, we need to show our teens from an early age the importance of safe driving by modeling good behavior and treating driving as a privilege," said parenting expert Laurence Steinberg, Ph.D., professor of Psychology at Temple University, author of "The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting" and "Your Adolescent: A Parent's Guide for Ages 10 to 20," and an Allstate Foundation Teen Driving Program Advisory Board member. "Practicing what we preach, discussing the issue regularly with our teens and talking with our peers are simple actions parents can take that will go a long way in keeping teens safer on the road."

Talk with your child early and often: The survey showed most parents do not talk to their teens about safe driving until a year or less before their teens receive a permit -- long after their teens' attitudes toward driving have developed.

  --  When their teens are 12 or younger, 77 percent of parents discuss the
      dangers of smoking, 72 percent discuss the dangers of taking drugs and
      70 percent discuss peer pressure. However, only 27 percent of parents
      discuss safe driving when their children are 12 or younger.

  --  Fifty-four percent of parents surveyed first talked about safe driving
      with their children at the ages of 14 and 15.

Shake the "not my teen" syndrome: The survey found that parents think their own teens are immune to the risk of a crash -- when in reality, the issue affects everyday teens in everyday situations.

  --  While two-thirds of parents polled think teens in general are bad
      drivers, 88 percent trust their own teens to drive safely.

  --  Fifty-five percent believe if their teens were in a crash, it would be
      someone else's fault.

Restrict dangerous driving situations: Many parents allow their teens to drive in dangerous situations within the first few months after getting a license, increasing the likelihood of a deadly crash.

  --  Ninety percent of respondents permit their teens to drive after dark,
      even though teens are twice as likely to crash at night (9 p.m. to 6
      a.m.) as during the day.

  --  Seventy-seven percent allow their teens to drive with friends, even
      though the chance of crashing increases in proportion to the number of
      teen passengers in a car.

  --  Sixty-nine percent of parents surveyed allow their teens to drive in
      bad weather.

Practice what you preach: Parents are not modeling good behavior behind the wheel when their children are in the car.

  --  Ninety-nine percent of parents polled said it is helpful for their
      teens to see good driving behavior from them and their teens' other
      parent.

  --  Seventy-one percent of parents polled have talked on a cell phone
      while driving with their teens in the car.

  --  Sixty-two percent have operated a radio, MP3 player, game or other
      device while driving.

  --  More than a quarter of parents have broken a law while driving with
      their teen in the car (e.g., running a red light or stop sign, illegal
      U-turn, etc.).

Exert positive adult peer pressure: Parents are influenced, for better or worse, by several factors -- especially other parents.

  --  Almost half of the parents surveyed said other, more lenient parents
      make it difficult to control their own teens' driving privileges.

  --  Nearly 40 percent said they often disagree with their teens' other
      parent about the best way to establish and enforce driving ground
      rules for their teens.

  --  While 60 percent of parents talk with their peers about teen driving,
      40 percent do not, demonstrating an opportunity to increase peer-to-
      peer dialogue.

  A Mother's Story

In 2005, Patricia Kelley of Chicago lost her 17-year-old son Daniel in a car crash. Late at night, Dan and another teen were killed when the newly- licensed driver they were riding with over-corrected, hit a curb and crashed into a pole. The driver and a third passenger escaped with serious injuries. Dan had just met the driver, who had received a convertible days earlier as a holiday gift. Kelley had not allowed her son to get a license, since driving was a privilege he had yet to earn.

"There's no easy way to protect teen drivers or passengers," said Kelley. "But, we can begin by making sure our kids know the risks of being a driver or a passenger. Parents need to work together to establish and enforce driving rules that protect all teens in our community."

For more information on how parents can talk to their teens and other parents about this issue, engage their community to create a culture of safe driving or to view the full Allstate Foundation parent survey, visit http://www.protectteendrivers.com/ .

About The Allstate Foundation Survey

The Allstate Foundation commissioned Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) to conduct a national online survey of 1,007 parents of teen drivers ranging from ages 15 to 17 in February 2007. The margin of error is +/- three percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent.

About The Allstate Foundation

The Allstate Foundation is an independent, private, non-profit organization funded by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation. Since 1952, the Foundation has developed and funded programs in communities across the United States. Today, the Foundation focuses on three areas: safe and vital communities; tolerance, inclusion and diversity; and economic empowerment.