Young people use the family car irresponsibly: phone use and alcohol are the main risky behaviours

According to a survey carried out by Ford, young drivers engage in risky behaviour behind the wheel of their parents’ car, which many borrow without asking them. These behaviours include exceeding speed limits, using mobile phones while driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.

82% of respondents said they drive the family car, 39% admitted to having exceeded the speed limit and 35% said they had taken the car without asking. In addition, 27% of respondents even said they had used their smartphone to make calls, send messages or take selfies while driving. Surprisingly, as many as 6% confessed to driving under the influence of alcohol.

Among respondents, 74% own their own vehicle but still drive the family car. In addition, due to the lack of jobs and the high price of housing, people aged between 18 and 29 are living at home with their parents for longer (in Spain, 80%), which is increasing this trend.

Young people need to be trained behind the wheel to become safer drivers. Following the results of this study, Ford highlighted the need for drivers in Europe to receive more specific training, since road traffic accidents are the main cause of death among young drivers on this continent.

The Ford Driving Skills for Life programme offers free, practical training courses that help young people learn to drive so they can become safer drivers. According to Jim Graham, the programme’s director, “young people may see the family car as a gateway to their freedom. But for their own safety and that of other road users, they need to make sure they drive responsibly”.

In Spain, the programme started in 2013 and, across the four editions held, Ford has already trained more than 2,600 young people. For the 2017 edition, the company is offering 900 places for drivers aged between 18 and 24.

If you want to find out more about this programme and what it involves, you can read more about this road safety and driving programme from Ford that we tried out in 2014.