BOSTON, Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study
conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against
Destructive Decisions), reveals that a third of all teens surveyed
(33 percent) perceive it to be legal to drive under the influence
of marijuana in states where it's been legalized for recreational
use. Notably, 27 percent of parents surveyed believe it to be legal
as well. While the survey found that 93 percent of parents think
driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous, only 76
percent feel that driving under the influence of marijuana is
dangerous. The teen survey data echoes these findings with 88
percent of teens saying that driving under the influence of alcohol
is dangerous compared to just 68 percent saying marijuana is
dangerous.
Overall, the study indicates that teens are receiving mixed
messages about the dangers of marijuana use and driving,
potentially putting themselves and others at risk, particularly
with a quarter of teens (22 percent) admitting that driving under
the influence of marijuana is common among their friends.
Furthermore, only 73 percent of teens think that marijuana makes
someone a worse driver while 88 percent feel the same about
alcohol.
Data from leading national authorities indicate that these
recent survey findings point to a societal misunderstanding for
both parents and teens alike: that DUI of marijuana isn't
dangerous. According to a study conducted by the National Institute
on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), marijuana consumption can impair your
driving skills just like driving under the influence of
alcohol.
"Driving under the influence of marijuana significantly impairs
motor coordination, judgment and reaction time," said Mike Sample, MS, CSP, lead driving safety expert
and technical consultant at Liberty Mutual. "Parents and teens
alike must appreciate the importance of not driving under the
influence of marijuana to help keep everyone safe on the road."
Also according to the study, while the majority of parents say
they are talking to teens about the dangers of DUI and marijuana
use (78 percent), only 53 percent of teens recall having had these
conversations with their parents.
"Parents are the most important role models for teens and have
an opportunity to hold more conversations with them about the
dangers of driving under the influence, whether it's driving under
the influence of alcohol, marijuana or other drugs that can impair
driving," said Dr. Gene Beresin,
senior advisor on adolescent psychiatry with SADD and Executive
Director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at
Massachusetts General Hospital. "Starting a dialogue early and
engaging teens about the dangers of driving high before they have
their license can be an effective way to reinforce the message
prior to getting behind the wheel."
How Parents Can Discuss the Dangers of Driving Under the
Influence
Teens of all ages look to their parents as role models. Dr.
Gene Beresin and Mike Sample offer the following tips to help
parents encourage safe driving practices:
- Open the door for conversation: Parents should not
lecture, but should talk with their teens about safe driving
practices beginning at a young age. The survey found that less than
half (43 percent) of teens who don't yet have their license or
permit recall a conversation about driving under the influence of
marijuana prior to receiving their permit or license. Liberty
Mutual Insurance and SADD encourage parents and teens to use the
Teen Driving Contract as a conversation starter and discussion
guide. This tool covers important safety issues and is an easy
roadmap for parents and teens alike to uphold family driving
rules.
- Set clear rules: Parents must set clear expectations
with their teens. Whether their teen has a driver's license or
plans on driving with a friend, parents should make it very clear
that there's absolutely no driving under the influence of alcohol
or drugs. It could mean a loss of their license or even their
life.
- Create a secret code: In case teens find themselves in a
vulnerable situation, parents and teens can create a secret
code together, such as a text code "222" or a safety code phrase to
alert their parents that they need to be picked up with a "no
questions asked" policy. Teens should always feel comfortable
reaching out to their parents and asking for help in a potentially
uncomfortable or dangerous situation.
For more information, and to download the Teen Driving Contract,
visit www.libertymutual.com/teendriving.
About the Study
Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD
commissioned ORC International to conduct a quantitative survey
that measured teen driving attitudes and behaviors. The survey was
conducted April-May 2017, among 2,800
teens from high schools across the country. Overall the findings
from the Teen Driving Study can be interpreted at a 95 percent
confidence interval, with an error margin of 1.9 percent (survey).
Error margins for subsets such as licensed drivers will be wider.
Additionally, the study included a survey of 1,000 parents of
licensed teenage drivers that has an overall error margin of 3.1
percent.
About Liberty Mutual
Insurance
Liberty Mutual Insurance helps people preserve and protect what
they earn, build, own and cherish. Keeping this promise means
we are there when our policyholders throughout the world need us
most.
In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, Mass., today Liberty Mutual is a
diversified insurer with operations in 30 countries and economies
around the world. The company is the fourth largest property and
casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2016 direct written premium
data as reported by the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners. Liberty Mutual is ranked 75th
on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based
on 2016 revenue. The company employs over 50,000 people in over 800
offices throughout the world.
The fifth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty
Mutual (libertymutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for
automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability,
and individual life insurance. The company is an industry leader in
affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees
and members of more than 15,000 companies, credit unions,
professional associations and alumni groups.
About SADD
SADD, Students Against Destructive
Decisions, the nation's leading peer-to-peer youth education,
prevention, and activism organization, is committed to empowering
young people to lead initiatives in their schools and
communities. Founded in 1981, SADD today has thousands of
chapters in middle schools, high schools and colleges. SADD
highlights prevention of many destructive behaviors and attitudes
that are harmful to young people, including underage drinking,
other drug use, risky and impaired driving, and teen violence and
suicide. To become a Friend of SADD or for more information,
visit sadd.org, parentteenmatters.org or follow SADD
on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Media Contacts:
Glenn Greenberg
Liberty Mutual Insurance
617-574-5874
Glenn.Greenberg@libertymutual.com
Melinda Bonner
360 Public Relations
857-300-6307
mbonner@360pr.com
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