New Survey Reveals Parents of Teen Drivers Don't Practice What They Preach

Survey Shows Teens Exhibit Similar Driving Habits to Their Parents; Findings Relevant as Teen Vehicle Crashes Expected to Spike in October Bloomington, Ill., -- State Farm® released the findings of a national survey today revealing that parents unknowingly may be contributing to teens’ risky driving behaviors by not practicing what they preach. To help reduce teen driver vehicle crashes, the No. 1 killer of U.S. teens, State Farm conducted the survey to learn more about how parents approach their driver's education roles.

The findings are important because State Farm Claims data from the past five years show that October averages the highest number of teen auto insurance claims. According to State Farm, the nation’s largest auto insurer, an increase in the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver claims* involving injury or collision can be expected to jump nearly 20 percent in October as compared to a typical month.

Key findings from the parent survey show that in many instances the majority of parents are not following the safe driving advice they give to their teens, possibly setting dangerous examples for young, inexperienced drivers:

• 65 percent of parents talk on cell phones at least sometimes while driving; however 94 percent restrict their teens from doing the same
  
• 68 percent of parents are in a hurry at least sometimes when they drive
  
• 65 percent of parents drive when they are tired at least sometimes

The parent survey is a follow-up to the 2007 National Young Driver Survey, conducted by State Farm and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia® (CHOP), which examined driving through the eyes of teens and found that they drive under dangerous conditions—while fatigued, talking on cell phones, and with multiple passengers. More specifically:

• 89 percent of teens said they see their peers talking on cell phones while driving at least sometimes
  
• 91 percent of teens see their peers driving in a hurry at least sometimes
  
• 75 percent of teens said they see their peers drive when they are tired at least sometimes

“We are asking parents to be aware that their teens are watching and learning from their behaviors,” said Laurette Stiles, vice president of Strategic Resources for State Farm. “State Farm is committed to working with parents to ensure their teens develop safe, smart driving behaviors. We will again join Congress in support of National Teen Driver Safety Week, October. 19-25, to encourage parents, as well as young drivers, lawmakers and educators to work together to change risky driving behaviors and help save lives.”
The parent survey also found that parents would have liked more information or advice on teaching their teens to drive. For example:

• Half of parents would have liked more information on helping their teens avoid distractions
  
• One out of three could have used more advice on freeway driving, nighttime driving and road rage
  
• One fourth would have liked information on ways to help their teen avoid drinking and driving

To ensure parents are equipped with the right tips and tools as they assist their teens with learning to drive, State Farm created an interactive Facebook® page devoted to teen driver safety. Parents who join the page can learn ways to help their teens navigate the road and share safe driving tips with other parents. Parents can go to Facebook for more details about the teen driver safety page.

About the Parent and National Young Driver Surveys

State Farm is in its third year of a multi-year research initiative focusing on teen drivers. The 2007 National Young Driver Survey, conducted by State Farm and CHOP, is the most comprehensive study of teen attitudes and behaviors as passengers and drivers to date. Nearly 6,000 students in 68 high schools throughout the U.S. were surveyed on what they do and see other teens do behind the wheel.

State Farm's parent survey, conducted in June 2008, provided insights into how parents participate in the teen driver education process and influence their teens’ driving behaviors. More than 1,000 parents or guardians of teens who have passed behind-the-wheel driving tests within the past year (May 2007-May 2008) were surveyed.
State Farm has a strong legacy of conducting research to save lives on the road. For more than 10 years, State Farm and CHOP conducted child passenger safety research and used their findings to identify the proper seating and restraining methods for children in vehicles. Today, State Farm is focused on the most vulnerable group on the road – teens.

About State Farm

U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 67,000 employees serve over 77 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.

About The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.