Car accident news
26/11/2009
Parents’ driving may lead to children’s car accidents later

A car accident leading to personal injury could result from poor driving behaviour learnt from your parents, says an expert from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger says because children copy from their parents it may cause them to ignore safety issues, leading to potential road traffic accidents when they are old enough to drive.

Examples of bad habits he gives to illustrate how a vehicle accident may be caused by a motorist’s attitude include doing 40 in a 30mph zone, using abusive language towards other drivers, driving too close to the car in front and not wearing a seat belt.

“If children grow up watching their mum and dad talk, text and email on their mobiles while driving, they’re going to think it’s OK to do the same,” he said.

He adds that for young adults combining a lack of driver training with a blasé attitude to safety inherited from their parents could be lethal for this vulnerable group of road users who suffer most casualties in UK car accidents.