A comparison of teen perceptions and parental reports of influence on driving risk

Objectives: To compare associations between teen and parent reports of pare ntal driving influence to teen-reported high-risk driving. Methods: A state wide sample of 424 Maryland parents and their provisionally licensed teenag ers were interviewed. Results: Reports of parental involvement with their d riving to that of their parents indicated low levels of concordance, Teens who reported their parents had specific rules restricting who could ride wi th them as well as how many passengers were allowed to ride with them were less likely to report being distracted by friends, getting a ticket, drivin g too fast, or driving aggressively. Conclusion: Programs that enable paren ts to restrict and supervise their teen's driving, especially during the fi rst 6 months of provisional licensure, are indicated.