Study: reckless driving may be a family trait

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Photos / Getty

Photos / Getty

New research by Scrap Car Comparison has revealed that bad driving is passed down through the family: you’re more likely to break road laws if your parents have too.

The results were gained via a survey of 1000 motorists - half of which have never committed a driving offence and the other half being drivers who have. The resulting data showed that motorists who exhibit "bad" driving behaviours such as speeding or accumulating points on their licence, are likely following in the footsteps of their parents. Two-thirds (66 per cent) of those who’ve broken road laws in the last 10 years have been raised by parents who have also fallen foul of the law, in comparison to just a quarter (26 per cent) of those who were raised by law-abiding drivers.  

Motorists brought up by road law breakers will generally have at least one point on their licence, but those with parents who stick to the rules tend to have clean licences. Beyond this, 1 in 10 (12 per cent) road users with parents who exhibit "bad" driving behaviours were found to have four or more points on their licence, versus just 3 per cent of those who grew up exposed to more sensible driving practices.

Almost half (45 per cent) of the drivers surveyed who were raised by "bad" drivers have been pulled over by the police in the last 10 years. On the flipside, only 14 per cent of those with parents who have clean driving records have experienced flashing lights in their rear-view mirrors.

What negative driving habits do we learn from our parents?

The study’s findings that bad driving is more nurture than nature ring true, as 1 in 4 drivers agree that they’ve picked up negative driving habits from their parents. In particular, speeding, road rage and poor spatial awareness are the biggest habits drivers feel they’ve unwittingly learnt.

While a tendency to drive dangerously is undoubtedly the biggest issue on the road, 1 in 10 motorists also say that how carefully their parents drive has resulted in them being too cautious behind the wheel.

Rank

Negative driving habit

% who have learnt habit from their parents

1

Speeding

55%

2

Road rage

49%

3

Poor spatial awareness (e.g. driving within a lane)

24%

4

Poor or careless parking

21%

5

Dangerous driving (e.g. cutting in front of another driver)

17%

6

Driving too carefully (e.g. driving significantly below the speed limit)

10%

 

Despite this, it seems that newer generations are mindful of their parents' errors when it comes to bad driving, with 55 per cent of motorists saying they’ve grown up to be a better driver than their parents.

According to Scrap Car Comparison’s research, parents of the 1000 drivers surveyed were more likely to have points on their licence, have been pulled over by the police or taken a speed awareness course than their children. In particular, more than 1 in 3 parents (36 per cent) have penalty points to their name, while their offspring were more likely to have a clean licence.

Offence

Child

Parent

Penalty points

27%

36%

Speed awareness course

30%

37%

Pulled over by the police

33%

36%

 

Full results of the study can be found here.

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