As teenagers begin to drive, many parents may wonder where they have picked up unsafe driving habits. Ford recently did a study of 908 people in the United States, 301 of those were tweens (age 9 - 12), 302 were teens (age 13 - 19), and 305 were parents. The results of this study may have been surprising to some.

• About 95% of all parents say claim that they are safe drivers, but 82% of teens say that they've seen their parents have texted while driving, talked on a mobile phone, or were speeding. 
• About 78% of tweens say their parents have "a lot of influence" on the way they will drive. 
• About 66% of teen drivers say that their driving habits are influenced by those of their parents. 
• 82% of the parents surveyed expressed interest in putting their children through driver training programs, but less than 20% actually do. 

Worst of all: vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for teens, and those accidents are frequently caused by distracted drivers. Ford has launched the 2011 Safe Driving Survey to encourage teens to enroll in its Driving Skills for Life program, a free, nationwide program for teens who either already have or are trying to get their drivers' licenses. It also hopes parents will be more attentive to their driving habits and how they affect their children. With various hands-free driving technology and apps for safe driving and to avoid texting while driving, there is no excuse for unsafe driving habits. Once teenagers see that their parents are putting safe driving practices into place they will be more willing to do so themselves.