Young drivers with car insurance will benefit from parental guidance after passing their driving tests, claims regulatory body.
The study by Staffordshire County Council and the University of Keele found that novice drivers were less likely to crash their cars if parents were involved in driving lessons.
Backed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), the Staffordshire Young Driver Coaching Programme encouraged parents to take a proactive role in the driving lessons rather than merely complaining from the rear seats.
Parents were provided with guidance that helped them to support during driving lessons better as well as document the learner's regular progress.
The two-pronged benefit from the programme resulted in parents brushing up on their own knowledge of road safety as well as being better equipped to supervise practice in family vehicles.
Irene Williamson, road safety officer for Staffordshire County Council, said that driving instructors across the council had welcomed the initiative with more than 90 instructors already enrolled on the programme.
The success of the research has given rise to the production of more resource materials and plans to extend the programme to other local councils.
Lindsey Simkins, road safety research and evaluation officer at RoSPA, said that she was happy that their fear of parents overriding the instructor's control over the lessons had not been realised.
She added: "It's vital that we all pull together to give society's most vulnerable road users advice that is consistent and relevant and that will stop them dying needlessly."
RoSPA also launched an online toolkit to assist young employees who drive for work to develop advanced road safety skills.
Young drivers under the age of 25 years account for 25 per cent of drivers involved in road accidents and 22 per cent of casualties, according to data published by the RoSPA.  |
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