Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for teens and young adults, yet many families may underestimate the risks closer to home, a new national survey shows.
According to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, one in three parents are worried that their teen or young adult driver could cause an accident.
Still, almost all parents believe their child drives as well or better than other young drivers and relatively few said they have set consequences for their teen’s unsafe driving behavior.
Our report suggests a gap between parents’ concerns about risky teen driving and their confidence in their child’s skills behind the wheel.”
Sarah Clark, MPH, Mott Poll Co-Director
Risky behaviors are common
The nationally representative report includes responses from 1,780 parents with children ages 16 to 25 surveyed in February. Most parents report their teen or young adult drives a car, and nearly two-thirds say their child drives almost every day.
More than half of parents say they have witnessed unsafe driving behavior by their child at least once. Nearly half have witnessed aggressive driving, such as speeding or tailgating, and one in four have witnessed distracted driving, including texting or multitasking.
Another 17% of parents have reported seeing their child driving while drowsy, emotionally disturbed or under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.
“Distracted, impaired and aggressive driving are major contributors to crashes,” Clark said. “Even behaviors that seem minor, such as looking at the phone or driving while tired, can significantly slow reaction times and increase crash risk.”
Parents of young adults ages 21 to 25 are more likely to report distracted or impaired driving than parents of teens ages 16 to 20.
confidence outweighs anxiety
Despite these comments, 96% of parents rate their children’s driving as average or better than that of peers. Only 4% say their child is a worse driver than others their age.
Even parents who witnessed distracted or impaired driving gave their child the same ratings as those who did not witness such behavior. And parents who witnessed aggressive driving were actually less likely to rate their child as a worse driver than peers.
“Many parents don’t associate risky driving behavior with being a good driver,” Clark said. “Often, parents engage in these same risky driving behaviors and do not perceive them as dangerous.”
Few parents take action
While one in three parents express concerns about their young driver sharing the road, only one in four reports taking steps to address their child’s driving behavior. Actions include installing surveillance devices, restricting driving privileges, denying access to the family car, or threatening to stop paying for car insurance.
Experts stress that parent involvement remains important, especially as driver education requirements vary by state and some allow online instruction or do not require formal driver education at all.
While most states have hands-free laws and bans on texting while driving, Clark says, other distractions like eating, grooming or interacting with passengers remain widespread and risky.
As teens and young adults gain independence on the road, Clark encourages families to have ongoing conversations about safe driving and to take concerns seriously before preventable tragedies occur.
“Parents are often the most influential driving instructors for their teens,” Clark said, “setting clear expectations, modeling safe driving and enforcing consequences when needed can make a real difference.”
