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. 2006 Jun;12(Suppl 1):i30–i37. doi: 10.1136/ip.2006.011569

Table 1 Research on associations between parental restrictions and teen driving.

Study Design; sample; purpose Results
Hartos, Eitel, Haynie, Simons‐Morton33 Retrospective survey; n = 300 licensed HS students; assess associations with teen driving outcomes Associations with risky driving
• Parental monitoring (–)
• Self control (–)
• Deviance acceptance (+)
• Problem friends (+)
Associations with violations
• Time licensed (+)
• Restrict teen passengers (–)
• Parental control (–)
Associations with crashes
• Restrict teen passengers (–)
McCartt, Shabanova, Leaf3 Prospective survey with 6 month follow ups from freshmen to senior grades; n = 911 HS students; assess effect of driving experience on teen driving outcomes Crash and conviction rates higher in first month of independent driving
Associations with violations
• Male gender (+)
• GPA (–)
• Rural area (+)
Associations with crashes
• Parental restrictions (–)
• GPA (–)
Hartos, Eitel, Simons‐Morton34 Prospective survey with 3 month follow up; n = 261 licensed HS students; assess predictors of risky driving Predictors of risky driving
• Baseline risky driving (+)
• Deviance acceptance (+)
• Parental monitoring (–)
• Parental restrictions (–)
Hartos, Eitel, Simons‐Morton35 Prospective survey with 1 year follow up; n =  275 parent‐teen dyads recruited at permit, 161 of whom were licensed and interviewed 1 year later; assess parent management and predictors of risky driving Parent management
• Parents delayed license testing until teen was ready
• Parents placed more limits on trip than risk conditions
Predictors of teen risky driving
• Young age at license (+)
• Male gender (+)
• Risk perceptions (‐)
• Parent‐teen conflict over driving (+)
• Parental monitoring (‐)
Hartos, Beck, Simons‐Morton36 Cross sectional survey; n = 658 parents of teens testing for a permit; assess parents' intended limits Parents' intended limits
• > trip conditions
• < risk conditions
• 1/3 completed a parent‐teen driving agreement
Associations with intended limits
• Parental monitoring (+)
• Risk perceptions (+)
• Discussions about driving rules (+)
• Vehicle access (–)
Hartos, Shattuck, Simons‐Morton, Beck37 In‐depth interviews; n = 24 parents and newly licensed teens; assess parent driving rules Parent rules
• 143 different rules
• Rules not strict
• Consequences for rules violations
 – Talk/warn (more likely)
 – Take away driving privileges (less likely)
Beck, Hartos, Simons‐Morton38 Cross sectional survey at 1 month post licensure; n = 579 parents and newly licensed teens; examine associations with risky driving Associations with risky driving
• Discordance on restrictions (+)
• Discordance on consequences for violating rules (+)
Goodwin, Foss39 Cross sectional survey; n = 900 parents and teens after intermediate or full licensure; are parents and teens aware and do they adhere to GDL? Parents and teens
• High awareness of rules
• 10% of teens violate night rules, 15% with parent permission
• 4% of parents allowed violations of passenger limits
• Teens reported little concern about detection, but drove to avoid it
Hartos, Simons‐Morton, Beck, Leaf40 Prospective surveys within 4 months of licensure; n = 292 parent‐teen dyads in MD; 108 dyads in CT; determine whether parent limits are stricter in MD with GDL or CT without GDL Parent limits stricter with GDL
• Teen passengers
• High speed roads
• Night driving
• Overall limits

HS, High School; MD, Maryland; CT, Connecticut; GDL, graduated driver licensing; (+), positive effect or improvement; (−), negative or detrimental result.