The Next Big Clip

Cited: Reuters

It is not the bad driver’s fault who is weaving in and out of the lane in front of you; he may not be able to help it, according to some U.S. researchers.  In fact, according to Science Direct, it can be assumed that children inherit their parents’ driving habits both through genetic disposition and model learning.  Some studies have even shown that parents’ and their children’s traffic violations and accidents correlate, which may be due to life style and exposure of the children to their parents driving style.

This study aimed at investigating the relationships between parents’ and their children’s self-reported driving behavior. The subjects were 174 parent–child pairs who independently completed a questionnaire. —driving style—was evaluated by means of Manchester driver behavior questionnaire (DBQ), while data about driving exposure, life style, accidents, and traffic tickets were also collected. A series of regression models indicated that parents’ self-reported driving behavior explains their children’s respective self-reported behavior, even when exposure and demographic and life-style factors are controlled.

They found that people with a particular gene variant performed more than 20% worse on a driving test than people with a different DNA sequence.  The study may explain why there are so many bad drivers out there — about 30% of Americans have the variant, the team at the University of California Irvine found.

“These people make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away,” Dr. Steven Cramer, who led the study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, said in a statement.

Cramer and his team tested 29 people — 22 without the gene variant and seven who had it — asking them to drive 15 laps on a simulator and then repeat the task a week later.  To their surprise, they found that those with the mutant gene did worse, consistently.  The gene controls a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which affects memory.  The team was not really looking for insights into driving but chose the driving test because it uses common skills.

“I’d be curious to know the genetics of people who get into car crashes,” Cramer said. “I wonder if the accident rate is higher for drivers with the variant.”

One study tested whether parents’ driving style predicts their children’s driving style when exposure factors are controlled.  Studies show that parents’ role is important in decisions that affect children’s car use and exposure to driving -related risks. Such decisions partly reflect parents’ life style that they transfer to their children.

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To explain accident involvement of young drivers you can look at the parents who give their child a role model for life as well as driving style that reflects habits and motivations.  Exposure to risk and relationship between parents and children will determine whether conviction and crashes will result from the amount of driving and make exposure to risk more similar.

The results of the study proved that a parent’s behavior behind the wheel does influence their children’s driving even when the major factors are controlled, although this was based on a fairly small student sample.  A detailed analysis showed that the relationship between the child’s and parents driving behavior is an important relationship.  This relationship shows significantly that the more errors and violations that a parent has and are seen by the children influence that specific behavior in their children will also make the same errors and violations.

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My Take: Are you telling me that they have only just now figured out that children mimic their parents?  I can understand discovering that there is a genetic connection, but they didn’t know the children imitate their parents when they grow up?  This is something that has been known for years!

Take for example a parent who drinks a lot, it is known that usually their child will do the same.  Of course, it does not always happen but it is known that it can happen.  Even a Massachusetts DUI attorney, who defends someone for drunk driving and has children, knows that one day they will probably be defending their clients’ child as well.  They realize that one day that child will need the same MA OUI defense attorney for the very same offense.  It has also been proven that drinking is genetically connected as well or at least the tendency towards it.

I think parents should send their children to some kind of driving school and not just rely on the high school drivers ed course.  A professional driving school would prepare a person better than any high school course because they that is what they do all day every day.  A high school teacher that teaches driver’s ed also teaches other classes and has to spread themselves pretty thin in today’s school system.

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Other Resources

Bodily Control

By improving your posture and movement, you could conceivably improve your driving.  The Alexander Technique can help improve postural and movement dysfunction by engaging the mind and body to reduce physical misuse.  You can learn to release excess tension allowing the spine to lengthen, the joints to open up, the bones to float away from each other, and the muscles to lengthen. This creates a more coordinated body with graceful movement and improved posture. The result is optimal functional mobility, decreased pain, and a greater sense of well being.  Why not check out some of the Alexander Technique resources that are available online to find out more.

Inheritance

Now that you have sent out those baby shower invitations, you need to think about the future of your child.  You need to realize that many of your habits will be passed onto your child just because you are around your child.  When your child reaches 16 they will be driving and you will be sending out new party invitations to celebrate.  But will they be able to drive safely and defensively?  You might want to consider sending them to a professional driving school when they get close to that age.