William Atkins
Tuesday, 29 September 2009 20:24
Science -
Health
Page 2 of 3
The researchers used the 2006 National Young Driver Survey, which gathered data on the behavior of 5,665 high school students in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades.
Based on the information from the students, parenting style was divided into four groups: (1) authoritative (high support and high rules/monitoring), (2) authoritarian (low support and high rules/monitoring), (3) permissive (high support and low rules/monitoring), and (4) uninvolved (low support and low rules/monitoring).
The study found 50% of the parents were authoritative (high support and high rules/monitoring), 23% were permissive (high support and low rules/monitoring), 19% were uninvolved (low support and low rules/monitoring), and 8% were authoritarian (low support and high rules/monitoring).
Teenagers with “uninvolved” parents were (1) twice as likely to have had accidents within the past year when compared to teenagers with “authoritative” parents.
In addition, teens with “authoritative” parents were (2) 71% less likely to drive while drunk and (3) less likely to use a cell phone while driving than teens with “uninvolved” parents.
Teens with “authoritative” or “authoritarian” parents also (4) used their seat belts almost twice as frequently and (5) drove excessively over the speed limit half as often as teens with “uninvolved” parents.
The researchers concluded, according to the abstract of their
Pediatrics paper, “
Clinicians should encourage parents to set rules and to monitor teens' driving behaviors, in a supportive context.”
Page three concludes.
