A recent study looking at the perils of driving and cell phone use revealed that over half of its teenage subjects who had reportedly spoken on the phone while driving were talking to a parent.
Cognitive psychologist and study author Noelle LaVoie led a group of researchers in interviewing and surveying about 400 drivers between the ages of 15 and 18. The findings were presented Friday at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, reported CBS News.
“One of the things teens talked about is the fact that parents use their cell phone while driving,” LaVoie said, according to USA Today. She discussed the obligation of parents to set a good example for their children by practicing safe driving.
Parents were also contributing to the problem by calling their kids while they were driving. Several teens reported that their parents would call repeatedly until they picked up the phone.
LaVoie said that if parents would refrain from trying to reach their driving teens, “it would reduce teen distracted driving.”