Drive Better… And so will your children.

A senior driving instructor has suggested that bad driving habits picked up from years of driving will influence the way your children drive… and urged parents to become better drivers for the sake of their children.

Malcolm Hearsey, a retired instructor from Bolton, Greater Manchester, has said that poor behaviour behind the wheel, such as not completing the Cockpit Drill, or even driving on the phone or without a seatbelt, tend to influence the behaviour of children as passengers later into life when they themselves begin their lessons and start driving.

Hearsey has said that many of his former protégés would often question his instructions against the practices of their parents, with “Dad doesn’t do this” and other similar statements as a common phrase heard during his instructing years.

With more and more parents also opting to give their children driving lessons themselves to avoid the expense of driving lessons, young drivers are much more likely to absorb bad habits, with their parents as a stronger role model than a driving instructor.

Hearsey has implored parents to reconsider their behaviour behind the wheel, and to remember that they are supposed to be setting an example to their children.

Hearsey also praises individual stories of parents taking advanced driving courses in order for them to iron out their own bad habits before starting to teach their children.

So if you’re a parent planning to teach your offspring to drive… you should probably make sure you’re doing everything right first.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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