Parental influence on the driving experiences of newly licensed young drivers: New Zealand Drivers Study

Motor vehicle crashes are responsible for one in three deaths in young people, aged 15-24 years, in high-income countries including New Zealand. From an international perspective, New Zealand has consistently had one of the highest traffic related death rates for young people. The overarching goal of this research was to identify potentially modifiable parent driving related factors that may inform policy or programmes, to help reduce young driver motor vehicle crash risk. The specific objectives were firstly, to describe parental knowledge, opinions, and experiences with licensing in New Zealand and secondly, to examine the influence of parental knowledge and attitudes towards licensing, parental management of adolescent driving and parental driving behaviour on adolescent compliance with GDLS conditions and crashes as a restricted licence driver. This study (Parent Study) was part of the New Zealand Drivers Study (NZDS), an on-going prospective cohort study of 3992 newly licensed car drivers. NZDS participants were recruited at the learner licence stage, and follow-up was aligned with the stages of GDLS, with telephone interviews at restricted and full licensure. For the Parent Study, at the restricted licence stage 1200 parents of adolescents, aged 15-17 years at learner licensure, were recruited. These 1200 parent-adolescent pairs were the study population to address objective one. 895 of these adolescents progressed to their full licence and completed the follow-up interview. These 895 parent-adolescent pairs were the study population to address objective two. Topics examined in the parent interview included knowledge and attitudes towards GDLS conditions, experience supervising a young driver, management of driving (e.g. rules imposed, delaying licensure, and vehicle choice), their own risky driving behaviour, crashes and driving offences. Adolescent outcomes of interest were compliance with GDLS conditions (breaching GDLS night-time and passenger conditions) and crashes as a driver during the restricted licence stage. Outcome data were obtained in the full licence stage interview. Crash data were also obtained from official police crash records. Findings indicate that after controlling for other variables, the parent factors independently associated with adolescent reporting low compliance with conditions were: low knowledge of GDLS conditions (OR=1.51), few driving rules (OR=1.85), adolescent vehicle ownership (OR=1.53) and parent having a crash (OR=1.41). Parent factors independently associated with an adolescent being a crash involved driver were: not actively delaying licensure and progression (OR=O.52), adolescent vehicle ownership (OR=1.55) and parent having a crash (OR=1.79). Parents of newly licensed drivers would benefit from being better informed regarding the GDLS conditions, vehicle choice and access, and the importance of placing limits on driving and enforcing compliance with licence conditions. Internationally, and in New Zealand there has been an upsurge in young driver programmes and policy initiatives to increase parental involvement. A cautious approach is required, however, as increased parental involvement may do more harm than good in some situations if parents are unaware that their own driving style or behaviour may be part of the problem. Alongside encouraging parents to be active supervisors and managers of their adolescent’s driving, these initiatives need to encourage parents to be role models of safe driving practices