How your driving style affects your kids: A new study

Our parents tend to be our role models, so they can affect our lives in many ways.

For instance, if your parents drive safely, then you'll probably drive safely as well, a new study claims.

Let's find out more about how it works.

How it was discovered

Researchers have made changes to the Family Climate for Road Safety Scale (FCRSS) to suit Spanish young drivers and also their parents.

These measures concentrate on aspects such as modeling, feedback, communication, monitoring, commitment to road safety, messages, and limits.

The results from applying this scale in Spain linked various dimensions to the driving behaviors of young drivers.

Test results

Young individuals who saw their parents as good driving role models, who communicated openly, shared clear safe driving messages, gave feedback, closely supervised, and set limits reported driving more carefully and less recklessly, aggressively, or anxiously.

While greater parental monitoring was connected to more cautious driving, it also led to higher levels of anxiety.

The scientists noted that young drivers might see too much supervision negatively, causing negative emotions like anxiety while driving.

Despite this, supervised driving was also positively linked to more careful driving.

The experiment shows differences by gender, with mothers perceiving themselves as better role models for safer driving compared to dads.
 

• Related news:
• research
• parenting
• safety
• 2 December 2023

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