Teaching a teenager to drive is an important task that requires patience, focus, and commitment, and while many parents are up to the task, a new study finds that they are also distracted by their phone.

A study by State Farm timed to coincide with Teen Safe Driving week, now underway, found that 61 percent of teens say their parents have been distracted by their phone at least once while teaching them to drive. Plus, 29 percent of teens say their parents have been distracted sometimes, often, or all the time.

Parents do admit they are setting a poor example, as 53 percent say they have been distracted at least once while driving with their teen and 17 percent say that has occurred sometimes, often, or all the time.

Teens say parents have not been modeling good behavior while driving, as 54 percent of teens say they have seen parents use their phone while driving sometimes, often, or all the time and 43 percent of parents admit to using the phone in front of their teen while behind the wheel.

State Farm surveyed 517 teens and their parents to find out how teens learn to drive with their families. The study also noted that 24 percent of parents and 30 percent of teens say they aren’t spending enough time learning how to drive.

At the recent NOYS (National Organization for Youth Safety) Teen Distracted Driving summit, one presenter noted that teens need 100 hours of driving practice before going solo and many do not get the training. If parents want their children to be safe behind the wheel, they need to practice what they preach and model good behavior—that means fasten seat belts, put the phone away, follow the rules of the road, and spend the time to practice driving with their children.

Parents should set a good example to show teens behaviors that we all need to do to drive safely. Even if you have young children, years away from a license, be sure to model good behavior now and make a lasting impression.

Related:
Making NOYS: Teen safety summit tackles the dangers of texting and driving head on
Fighting distracted driving: Technology can be part of the solution
Guide to distracted driving & teen safety