Teens report on parental role in learning to drive

Philadelphia – Eighty-seven percent of teen drivers said their parents were involved in teaching them to drive, and 4 out of 10 teens were taught exclusively by a parent, according to a research brief released by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Researchers used results from a survey of 1,770 licensed U.S. teen drivers. They recommend in the brief that parents provide their teens with at least 50 hours of driving instruction and that they stay involved in their teens’ driving for at least one year after they receive their license.

According to the abstract of a study released by the hospital’s research center in June, parents can successfully instruct teens on the basics of driving. However, researchers found that some parents fail to properly instruct teens on safety and crash prevention skills, such as hazard scanning and reducing speed.