Teens dob in parents who are driving dangerously on our roads

FOUR out of five teenagers have witnessed their parents break the law while driving, an exclusive survey has revealed.

The survey, conducted by not for profit group Road Safety Education on behalf of The Sunday Telegraph, found that the majority of parents were providing poor role models for their children.

At an unnamed, multicultural school in Westnern Sydney, Year 11 students, all aged 16 to 17, were asked if they had witnessed their parents do something illegal while driving. The majority put their hands up.

With the protection of anonymity, they drew the misdeamenors they have witnessed. The sobering exercise revealed ‘Mum drink drives’ ‘Dad speeds up to get through orange lights’ ‘I see mum on the phone while driving’ ‘Dad texts while driving’. One admitted her mother encouraged her to speed, even though she is on her Ls, another says ‘Dad illegally takes a right hand turn. Don’t do it.”

Teenagers saw their parents use the phone to talk or text while driving, witnessed them speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol.

Brooke O’Donnell, general manager of education for Road Safety Education’s Ryda Program said the Sydney-based students, aged 15 and 16, had revealed some scary behaviour by parents, including one admitting that: “Dad drives home early in the morning while drinking all night”.

Another said: “He wasn’t drunk but driving while drinking beer and not following the road lines.”

“It tells us that our kids are watching everything. Every wrong move a parent makes is internalised and undermines the positive messaging they’re trying to teach when it comes time for driving lessons,” she said.

“Parents need to be conscious that young people start to learn to drive from the back seat from a very early age. It’s hard to undo years of negative role modelling at 16 years. How do you convince your teenager that it’s dangerous to use a mobile while driving if they’ve been watching you do it?”

Studies have shown that young drivers with parents who model poor driving behaviours are more likely to adopt those poor behaviours than other young drivers.

“One of the best things parents can do for their young drivers is model low-risk, safe driving from the moment they put their toddler into their car seat,” Ms O’Donnell said.

Associate Professor Teresa Senserrick from Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research, at the University of NSW said a study of 20,822 drivers aged 17-24 years in NSW found newly-licensed young drivers whose supervisors or parents had recent traffic offences had a more than 30 per cent higher chance of crashing than those whose parents did not have such offences.

“Young drivers adopt poor driving behaviours and attract offences as modelled by their parents,” the study concluded. “This was irrespective of the age and gender of the supervisor and of the relationship between the supervisor and learner, although the majority of supervisors were parents.”

Prof Senserrick said that, as the supervision requirements for learner drivers fell heavily on parents, the potential unintended consequence might unduly foster negative driving behaviours among learner drivers.

The current graduated driver licence system has increased supervised driving requirements to at least 120 hours driving experience, including 20 hours of night driving.

“Parents try to be good role models but in some ways the damage may already have been done if the child has grown up watching the parent drive and then sees conflicting messages — do as I say, not as I do,” Prof Senserrick said.

Young drivers are significantly over-represented in road fatalities.

“Young drivers are only 10 per cent or less of the driving population but they represent 20 per cent of all fatalities so it’s double what you would expect,” Prof Senserrick said.

“The first year on the road driving independently is a really high-risk time. Taking risks on the road might seem normal or as acceptable behaviour but coupled with their inexperience as it well puts them at high risk.

The study concluded that “there may also be a role for education and training programs for parents on the importance of their role as a supervisor and the need to model safe and responsible driving behaviour to their children”.

It is heartbreaking for the likes of Colleen Vassallo, who set up the Blue Datto Foundation in 2014 after her 17-year-old son Philip lost his life in a tragic speeding accident. Philip had been making a turn when his friend, speeding in the car behind had no time to stop and collided with his blue Datsun, killing him instantly.

Blue Datto now runs the award-winning Keeping Safe road safety education program targeting young drivers and passengers in schools. Part of the program is highlighting the major risks in the car and students are encouraged to role model scenarios, like having the confidence to speak up if witnessing unsafe driving.

“Our program helps students understand the consequences and risks of driving and we urge them to speak up when they feel unsafe in the car. We encourage them to speak up to the driver, or family member, if they are doing something wrong.

“Parents underestimate the role they play, they watch everything we do and some students have said ‘my dad does drink, but he’s a good driver’ so we get them to question that.”

Mrs Vassallo is passionate about the program which she hopes will save others from the tragedy shatters too many families.

“It can happen to anyone. Philip just went to McDonald’s one night and didn’t come home that night. Have a plan to get home safely and speak up if you don’t feel safe in the car. If we can save one life, it is helping.”

DRIVEN BY A VERY PERSONAL TRAGEDY
COLLEEN Vassallo set up the Blue Datto Foundation in 2014 after her 17-year-old son Philip lost his life in a tragic accident.

Philip had been making a turn when his friend, speeding in the car behind, collided with his blue Datsun, killing him instantly.

Blue Datto — named after Philip’s shortened name of his beloved restored blue 1980 Datsun ute — runs the award-winning Keeping Safe road safety education program aimed at young drivers and passengers in schools.

Its slogan is “Safe Yourself”.

“Our program helps students understand the consequences and risks of driving and we urge them to speak up when they feel unsafe in the car … to the driver, or family member, if they are doing something wrong,” Mrs Vassallo said.

She is passionate about the program which she hopes will save others from the tragedy shatters too many families.

“It can happen to anyone. Philip just went to McDonald’s one night and didn’t come home that night,” she said.

“Have a plan to get home safely and speak up if you don’t feel safe in the car.

“If we can save one life, it is helping.”

Blue Datto has also launched a short film competition “Impact the Screen — Impact a Life”.