Although teenagers seem to be preoccupied with their iPods or daydreaming, they are actually observing their parents’ poor driving habits.  A recent study of 2,000 children and parents revealed that 85 percent of teens are aware of their parents driving over half of the time in the car.

The majority of parents realize that their kids are watching them and that they need to be good examples.  However, many parents don’t put this in practice.  Out of the parents surveyed, two out of five claim they limit their poor driving habits when their children are in the car.  Yet, most teens reported that they see their parents use cell phones, drive in an aggressive manner, and fail to wear their seat belts.

When children grow up witnessing safe behavior in cars they tend to put those tools into practice themselves.  This is noteworthy because for 16-18 year olds, car accidents account for over one-third of deaths.

Unfortunately, many parents and teens are careless in the car, making an auto warranty a necessity.  Parents need to lead by example so that teenagers can witness safe driving skills.  It is also important to discuss smart driving before teens go to take their driving test.