Parents, Look in the Mirror

A survey of 1,000 motorist parents by pre-17 driving school Young Driver has totted up the time children spend as passengers with their parents: an average of three hours and 51 minutes a week, or more than 3,400 hours by the time they hit 17. That's a lot of observational learning. Some of it is, regrettably, the wrong kind.

Just 13% of parents claim to have no bad habits behind the wheel. The other 87% have an average of four or five each. One in ten admits to ten or more, which is less "occasional lapse" and more "personal driving philosophy."

The greatest hits

The most commonly witnessed offences, per the survey:¹

• Eating at the wheel: 48%
• Speeding: 35%
• Glancing at a phone: 29%
• Tailgating: 26%
• Failing to indicate: 17%
• Not checking blind spots: 15%
• Undertaking: 15%

And further down the charge sheet: cutting people up, pulling out without space, taking calls without hands-free, sailing past zebra crossings, and overtaking blind. Scary stuff and no one has mentioned picking their nose yet.

The "do as I say" problem

Ian Mulingani, managing director of Young Driver, makes the case that this matters more than parents like to admit:

"Children are like sponges. They absorb everything they see, including how their parents drive. The problem is, even seemingly 'small' bad habits can become ingrained long before they ever take their test."

The pitch for early intervention is supported by some genuinely striking numbers. One in five newly qualified UK drivers crashes within six months of passing their test. For Young Driver alumni, that figure drops to under 4%, a reduction of more than 80%.

Regional bragging rights

Glasgow takes the trophy for self-declared good behaviour: 19% of parents there claim a clean sheet. London (17%) and Sheffield (16%) follow.

At the other end, Plymouth wins gold for honesty. Only 4% of parents there say they have no bad habits. Edinburgh and Cardiff are tied for second-most-candid at 94%.¹ Cardiff parents also spend the most time in the car with their kids: six hours fifteen minutes a week, which gives the children of South Wales an unusually thorough grounding.

Mums vs. Dads

Mums are more likely to admit to eating at the wheel and speeding. Dads more readily confess to undertaking, overtaking blind, taking calls without hands-free, and driving too close to cyclists. Make of that what you will.

The takeaway

You don't need a survey to know this, but it helps to be reminded: every school run is a driving lesson. The question is what's being taught.

Good habits are far easier to build than bad ones are to break — particularly once they've been demonstrated, repeatedly, by the person the child trusts most. The fix isn't complicated. Indicate. Mirror. Stop at the zebra. Save the sandwich for when you've parked.

The next generation of drivers is, as the research makes uncomfortably clear, already in training.

May 2026