AA Report Says Parents Are Passing Road Rage to Their Children

It’s never to early to fall in bad driving habits, not even if you are not old enough to drive, as a recent report made by the British AA says that motorists who regularly speed, drive with only one hand or vent their rage on other drivers could pass their bad habits to the next generation.

Fortunately, the most common bad habits that are passed down to children are a bit less severe, as they include failing to use mirrors properly, not checking blind spots, not feeding the wheel when turning and braking too hard or too late.

“Learners who combine formal lessons from an instructor with practice with family or friends boost their chances of passing their test and are likely to be safer drivers,” said AA Driving School director Simon Douglas.

Other bad habits identified by the AA that are copied by children later in life include driving too close to the car in front (tail-gating to you and me) and coasting in neutral.

“But dangerous habits are easily passed on, and it is alarming to see evidence that road rage is being passed on to another generation of drivers. Parents should try to set a good example with their own driving – and remember to let the experts do the teaching, while they focus on helping their children gain experience,” Douglas added.

Last year, the AA launched the pioneering Supporting Learner Drivers course. This puts parents back in the driving seat with an AA instructor to help develop skills that are useful for coaching the younger learners.