Chevy Poll: Parents Fear for Teen Drivers as School Year Begins
The start of the school year is especially stressful for parents this year, with the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant triggering concerns about children’s health and uncertainty about a full return to in-person learning. On top of all that, a recent Chevrolet survey found that parents are also worried about safety behind the wheel — both for themselves and for their inexperienced teenage drivers.
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The Harris Poll conducted the survey on behalf of Chevrolet, querying more than 1,200 adults with school-age children. The survey took place over the week of July 28-Aug. 4.
According to the results, parents are bracing themselves to spend more time on the road compared to the last school year. For 68 percent of respondents, driving every day for school drop-offs and pickups looms large as a source of stress.
In other survey findings, 61 percent of parents recall feeling safer while driving last year, as traffic was less heavy due to the pandemic. And 56 percent note that they themselves drove less during that time. With traffic now at more normal levels, 76 percent of respondents say they’re prioritizing defensive driving.
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The poll found that parents are also concerned about the safety of their teen drivers. The pandemic hit children’s ability to learn, extending even to driver’s education. According to 47 percent of respondents, their teen had to put off getting a driver’s license. For 61 percent, the pandemic cut into valuable practice time behind the wheel for their teen driver — and that lack of experience is cause for worry.
Parents’ fears for their teens are also being stoked by other drivers. Seventy-three percent have observed an uptick in aggressive drivers since the pandemic started. And 78 percent are worried that their teen driver will face more risks because of other drivers’ unsafe habits and behavior.
For tips on safe driving and news about the auto industry’s latest safety features, check out our coverage at The News Wheel.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.