Can I Take the Car?

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine relations among problem-driving practices and parenting practices. Three hundred adolescents licensed 2 years or less were interviewed about driving behaviors, parenting practices, and orientations toward deviance. Factors significantly related to risky driving behaviors, traffic violations, and motor vehicle crashes included lower levels of parental monitoring and control, and lenient parental restrictions on driving (i.e., friends as passengers and driving curfews). Parental monitoring was among the subset of variables most useful in predicting risky driving behaviors. Violations were 4 times more likely with lenient restrictions related to frequency of friends as passengers and 2 times more likely with low parental control. Crashes were 7 times more likely with lenient restrictions related to frequency of friends as passengers. Overall, the findings suggest that adolescent problem driving is related to parenting practices.