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All parents of teens feel a mixture of fear and elation when their kid
is finally old enough to drive. A new study reveals that kids are less likely
to make risky driving decisions when mom is in the passenger’s seat.
Researchers had 25 teens complete a driving simulation test that actually
encouraged risk-taking behavior. They told the participants to complete the
test as quickly as possible. At all 26 intersections in the simulation, the
teens had the option to stop for a yellow light, which would cause a
three-second delay, or speed through it. If they sped through it and crashed,
they got a six-second delay, if they managed to not crash, running the yellow
light was the fastest option. When the teens completed the course on their own,
they ran the yellow lights about 55 percent of the time. However when they
completed the course again under the watchful eye of mom, that rate dropped to
45 percent. Study leader Eva Telzer says, “We think parents play an
important scaffolding role, helping their children to make more thoughtful
decisions. Mothers redirected adolescents’ sense of reward away from risky
choices and toward safe choices.” (Fox) (Image: livescience.com)