Survey Shows Teens Exhibit Similar Driving Habits to Their Parents; Findings Relevant as Teen Vehicle Crashes Expected to Spike in October BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Sept. 29
BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- State Farm(R) released the
findings of a national survey today revealing that parents unknowingly may be
contributing to teens' risky driving behaviors by not practicing what they
preach. To help reduce teen driver vehicle crashes, the No. 1 killer of U.S.
teens, State Farm conducted the survey to learn more about how parents
approach their driver's education roles.
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The findings are important because State Farm Claims data from the past
five years show that October averages the highest number of teen auto
insurance claims. According to State Farm, the nation's largest auto insurer,
an increase in the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver claims* involving
injury or collision can be expected to jump nearly 20 percent in October as
compared to other months.
Key findings from the parent survey show that in many instances the
majority of parents are not following the safe driving advice they give to
their teens, possibly setting dangerous examples for young, inexperienced
drivers:
-- 65 percent of parents talk on cell phones at least sometimes while
driving; however 94 percent restrict their teens from doing the same
-- 68 percent of parents are in a hurry at least sometimes when they drive
-- 65 percent of parents drive when they are tired at least sometimes
The parent survey is a follow-up to the 2007 National Young Driver Survey,
conducted by State Farm and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia(R) (CHOP),
which examined driving through the eyes of teens and found that they drive
under dangerous conditions -- while fatigued, talking on cell phones, and with
multiple passengers. More specifically:
-- 89 percent of teens said they see their peers talking on cell phones
while driving at least sometimes (1)
-- 91 percent of teens see their peers driving in a hurry at least
sometimes (2)
-- 75 percent of teens said they see their peers drive when they are tired
at least sometimes (3)
"We are asking parents to be aware that their teens are watching and
learning from their behaviors," said Laurette Stiles, vice president of
Strategic Resources for State Farm. "State Farm is committed to working with
parents to ensure their teens develop safe, smart driving behaviors. We will
again join Congress in support of National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 19-
25, to encourage parents, as well as young drivers, lawmakers and educators to
work together to change risky driving behaviors and help save lives."
The parent survey also found that parents would have liked more
information or advice on teaching their teens to drive. For example:
-- Half of parents would have liked more information on helping their
teens avoid distractions
-- One out of three could have used more advice on freeway driving,
nighttime driving and road rage
-- One fourth would have liked information on ways to help their teen
avoid drinking and driving
To ensure parents are equipped with the right tips and tools as they
assist their teens with learning to drive, State Farm created an interactive
Facebook(R) page devoted to teen driver safety. Parents who join the page can
learn ways to help their teens navigate the road and share safe driving tips
with other parents. Parents can go to Facebook for more details about the teen
driver safety page.
About the Parent and National Young Driver Surveys
State Farm is in its third year of a multi-year research initiative
focusing on teen drivers. The 2007 National Young Driver Survey, conducted by
State Farm and CHOP, is the most comprehensive study of teen attitudes and
behaviors as passengers and drivers to date. Nearly 6,000 students in 68 high
schools throughout the U.S. were surveyed on what they do and see other teens
do behind the wheel.
State Farm's parent survey, conducted in June 2008, provided insights into
how parents participate in the teen driver education process and influence
their teens' driving behaviors. More than 1,000 parents or guardians of teens
who have passed behind-the-wheel driving tests within the past year (June
2007-May 2008) were surveyed.
State Farm has a strong legacy of conducting research to save lives on the
road. For more than 10 years, State Farm and CHOP conducted child passenger
safety research and used their findings to identify the proper seating and
restraining methods for children in vehicles. Today, State Farm is focused on
the most vulnerable group on the road -- teens.
About State Farm
State Farm(R) insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the
U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in
Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 67,000 employees serve over 77 million
auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more
than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No.
32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please
visit statefarm.com(R) or in Canada statefarm.ca(R).
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the
nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to
providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric
healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's
Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide.
Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking
third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique
family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed
hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For
more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
1. Driving Through The Eyes of Teens. The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia and State Farm. 2007.
2. Driving Through The Eyes of Teens. The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia and State Farm. 2007.
3. Driving Through The Eyes of Teens. The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia and State Farm. 2007.
* This data was collected by adjusting for unequal numbers of days per
month and excludes comprehensive, uninsured and underinsured claims
Facebook(R) is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
Deborah Schaller
GolinHarris
(312) 729-4352
dschaller@golinharris.com
Vicki Harper
State Farm Insurance
(309) 766-9743
vicki.harper.hycc@statefarm.com
SOURCE State Farm Insurance
