SACRAMENTO, Calif.,
Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Distractions and cellphone use are not the only worries of parents
with children who drive. And a new survey from Allstate reveals
that parents take some comfort when their teens hit the road, in
the form of strong graduated driver licensing laws, professional
driving instructors and, perhaps surprisingly, their own
children.
Keeping mom and dad up at night
More parents of teen drivers worry about their teenager texting
or being distracted by friends while driving—73 percent say this
concerns them "a great deal"—than the possibility of their children
drinking and driving—50 percent.
- More mothers worry "a great deal" about texting and distracted
driving than fathers, by a margin of 75 percent to 69 percent.
- At 65 percent, moms worry more than dads, at 54 percent, about
their children being at risk from other drivers.
- Conversely, 55 percent of fathers are concerned about drinking
and driving compared to 48 percent of mothers.
- Parents in the West—at 76 percent—are outpaced only by those in
the Northeast—at 88 percent—in their concern about distracted
driving. Parental concern in the South is 69 percent and 66 percent
in the Midwest.
"Technology and multi-tasking has made driving today completely
different than years ago," says Phil
Telgenhoff, Field Vice President with Allstate in
California. "Knowing that teens
watch what adults do while driving is why it is so important that
everyone put down the phones, limit distractions overall and set a
good example in the car."
Trust in thy teen…
Parents overwhelmingly agree they trust their own children to
drive, and instead worry about other teenagers on the road—79
percent agree with this statement, while just 17 percent
disagree.
- This far outpaces parental concern about their children's
maturity and the responsibility of driving—36 percent worry a
"great deal"—and worry over their teen driver causing significant
damage to the car—26 percent.
…and trust in their teacher
More than half of American parents—53 percent—say a professional
driving instructor would do a better job teaching their children to
drive than they would. This is a measurable difference from the
actual experience of American parents, only 40 percent of whom were
taught to drive by a professional instructor.
- When asked why they prefer a professional instructor, parents
cite:
- Instructors' superior command of the rules
- Belief that driving instructors would have more patience
- Belief their children would be more likely to listen to the
instructor
- Parents who think they would do a better job themselves say
they know their child best and they trust their own experience and
driving skill.
The law is my friend
Eighty percent of parents support state laws that limit when and
with whom teenagers can drive, while 54 percent say they "strongly
support" these laws.
- Fifty-eight percent of mothers strongly support these laws,
compared to 48 percent of fathers.
Support increases the closer a parent gets to having a licensed
teenage driver.
- Seventy-one percent of parents with teens who currently hold a
driver's license strongly supporting these laws compared to 60
percent of those with unlicensed teens in the home.
A wide majority of parents agree state laws that limit teenage
drivers "make it easier for me as a parent to enforce driving rules
for teenagers"—81 percent.
- In the West nearly three-in-four parents, 72 percent, agree
with this sentiment, while 92 percent of parents in the Northeast
agree, 81 percent in the South and 78 percent in the Midwest.
About the Survey
The national survey of 600 American parents with children under
age 18 was conducted September 6-8,
2011 via landline telephone, and has a margin of error of
+/- 4.0 percent. The survey was conducted by FTI Consulting, Inc.
(FTI) for Allstate.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest
publicly held personal lines insurer known for its "You're In Good
Hands With Allstate®" slogan. Now celebrating its 80th anniversary
as an insurer, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to
help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and
better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance
products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through
Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive
financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and
1-800 Allstate®.
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company