25th February 2005
Parents teaching their children to drive are raising a generation of poor motorists as they pass their bad driving habits onto their teenage learner drivers.
New research from Direct Line reveals Mum and Dad are prompting a range of bad behaviour behind the wheel, from aggressive driving to incompetent parking with a third of young drivers (i) admitting to (31 per cent) picking up these bad driving habits from their parents.
Heading the league table of vehicle vices passed on by parents is the tendency to speed (44 per cent) followed closely by swearing at other motorists (40 per cent) and tailgating (36 per cent).
Young drivers also inherit poor parking skills (14 per cent) and one in 10 (12 per cent) blame their folk for their propensity to race off at the lights.
Direct Line's Motor spokeswoman, Emma Holyer, said:
"Young drivers are more likely to speed (ii) than any other motorists on the roads and in fact, one in five (iii) has an accident in the first year after passing their driving test. We'd therefore encourage learners to take professional lessons in addition to help from their parents to ensure they receive the necessary teaching.
"It is with the best will in the world that most parents take it upon themselves to teach their teenagers to drive - so we're urging them to set a good example by sticking to road laws – from following speed limits to wearing seatbelts. This will help to reduce the risk associated with inexperience."
Worryingly, over 800,000 (iv) learner drivers have had an accident during a driving lesson with Mum or Dad, and four in 10 (41 per cent) parents have had to pull on the handbrake during a lesson with their teenager to avoid collision. Plus it seems behind the wheel is not the best place for familial bonding; as well as picking up bad driving habits, four in 10 learners have had a blazing argument with their parent during a driving lesson.
The Direct Line research reveals professional lessons are the way forward for learner drivers. On average teenagers take 18 lessons at a cost of £250 to pass their test.
However, patient parents beware, darling daughters are likely to need (v) more professional lessons than their male counterparts – adding an extra £90 to the final driving lesson bill.
Men are more likely to suffer from overconfidence, with one in 10 (11 per cent) not bothering to take professional lessons before taking to the road.
There is hope for those wanting to pass their test with full colours even if it means uprooting to a different part of the country. Learners should head to Inveraray (vi) in Scotland as 80 per cent of drivers who take their test in this area pass. On the other hand Wood Green or Brentwood in London prove tougher driving courses with a less than 30 per cent pass rate.
Further information on Direct Line go to www.directline.com, or call 0845 246 8888.
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Notes to editors
The research was carried out by YouGov from January 11th-13th 2005. A total of 2,197 UK adults aged 18 and above were questioned.
Source: According to YouGov 31 per cent of 18-29 year olds picked up bad habits from their parents during driving lessons.
Source: Young Drivers between the ages of 17-25 are more likely to speed. Department for Transport (Cohort study of learner and novice drivers. Part 3. TRL Project Report 111. 1995.)
Source: Department for Transport (Cohort study of learner and novice drivers. Part 3. TRL Project Report 111. 1995.)
Source: There are 33.8 million drivers in the UK (Census data, 2001) and according to the YouGov findings 37 per cent of all motorists have had driving lessons with their parents. 0.37 x 33,809,493 = 12,509,512. And seven per cent of these have had an accident during a driving lesson. 0.07 x 12,509,512 = 875,666.
Source: According to YouGov male learners on average take 15 professional lessons and female learners on average take 21 professional lessons.
Source: Driving Standards Agency (DSA) 2003 data in association with www.2pass.co.uk.
NATIONAL DATA
Percentage national pass rate for April 2003 to March 2004 = 42.8%
Source: Driving Standards Agency (DSA) 2003 data.
For further information please contact:
Emma Holyer
Direct Line Press Office
Tel: 0845 878 2182 / 07734 433569
Direct Line Insurance plc, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Calls may be recorded. Conditions apply.
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