Are children picking up bad driving habits before they even get behind the wheel?

Children are regularly witnessing an average of four bad driving habits from each of their parents before they can even take to the roads themselves, according to new research.

A survey of 1,000 motorist parents conducted by the UK’s largest pre-17 driving school Young Driver, found that mums and dads spend an average of three hours and 51 minutes in the car with their child each week. Across 17 years, that adds up to more than 3,400 hours* when children can observe their parents behaviour behind the wheel. And what youngsters are witnessing may not all be positive, according to the research.

Just 13% of parents claim to have no bad driving habits, with the vast majority displaying some behaviours they wouldn’t want their children to copy. Whilst on average mums and dads admitted to between four and five misdemeanours behind the wheel, one in 10 parents (10%) confess to regularly displaying 10 or more different bad habits behind the wheel.

While some of these behaviours are illegal or break the Highway Code, others fall into the category of distraction or lapses in judgement, which can also pose a real risk behind the wheel.

The study revealed the most common ‘bad habit’ behaviours children witness include:

1. Changing music while driving (53%)
2. Eating at the wheel (48%)
3. Speeding (35%)
4. Glancing at a phone (29%)
5. Taking a drink while driving (27%)
6. Tailgating (26%)
7. Failing to indicate (17%)
8. Not checking blind spots (15%)
9. Undertaking (15%)
10. Cutting someone off (12%)

Further risky habits also widely admitted include pulling out at a junction without the necessary space and forcing another driver to brake (12%), taking calls without hands-free (11%), failing to stop at a zebra crossing (11%), getting too close to cyclists (10%) and overtaking without clear visibility (6%).

Breaking the cycle of bad habits

Ian Mulingani, Young Driver’s managing director, believes that it’s crucial to introduce safe habits early, saying: “Children are like sponges. They absorb everything they see, including how their parents drive. The problem is, even seemingly ‘small’ bad habits can become ingrained long before they ever take their test. The fact that younger children are so receptive and quick to learn is one of the reasons Young Driver begins teaching children how to drive from age nine. They take it all in, and they build up those skills for themselves, instead of just picking up what everyone around them is doing. So when they get to 17, those good habits are already imbedded.

“We often hear from parents that after just a few lessons, their children start pointing out mistakes on the journey home, which shows just how quickly good habits can take hold when they’re taught properly.”

Young Driver teaches children aged 9 to 17 in dual-controlled cars with fully qualified instructors, on private road systems designed to replicate real driving conditions. It has delivered over 1.6 million lessons at 70 venues nationwide. The scheme creates realistic road layouts complete with junctions, roundabouts and traffic signs, allowing youngsters to build confidence and skills safely. The focus is on developing responsible attitudes alongside core driving techniques such as steering, braking and parking, without the pressures of public roads.

Research shows that Young Driver past-pupils are less likely to crash when they do pass their test. In the UK, one in five newly qualified drivers crashes within six months of passing their test. However, for Young Driver pupils, that figure drops dramatically to fewer than 4% – a reduction of more than 80%.

Regional differences

Parents in Glasgow were least likely to admit to bad habits behind the wheel, with 19% claiming they had none, followed by those in London (17%) and Sheffield (16%).

At the other end of the scale, the Young Driver research revealed parents in Plymouth to be most candid, with 96% admitting they had at least one bad habit as a driver, followed by Edinburgh (94%) and Cardiff (94%).

Time spent in the car also varies significantly. Cardiff parents spend the longest with their children in the car at 6 hours 15 minutes per week, whilst Sheffield parents spend the least at 2 hours 43 minutes per week.

Mums more likely to admit bad habits, including speeding

While mums and dads report similar behaviours overall, women are actually more likely to admit to most bad habits behind the wheel – including speeding.

The Young Driver research revealed they are much more likely than men to say they change music or eat while driving, as well as exceeding the speed limit. Men, however, are more likely to confess to a handful of higher-risk behaviours including undertaking, overtaking without clear visibility, taking calls without hands-free and driving too close to cyclists.