Kids Fare Better in Crashes When Grandparents Driving: Study

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As someone with a Ph.D. in social science, I'm saddened to see such drastic over-interpretations of poorly conducted research. "Medical research" rarely meets what I consider the most basic requirements of "research". Unfortunately, the general public is scientifically illiterate and is therefore ill equipped to determine the quality of the research, and "journalists" are certainly no help.

ncooty of VA 1:58PM July 19, 2011

For information on dealing with the safety of older drivers, please see the "Beyond Driving With Dignity" workbook at www (dot) keepingussafe (dot) org
Regardless of the factors that led this study to its conclusion, a cooperative assessment of older drive safety and appropriate steps by the family benefits everyone.

Senior Advisor of AZ 2:27PM July 18, 2011

Parents are much more likely to take longer trips with the children, where they'll be travelling at higher speeds on highways. Grandparents will generally take shorter trips at lower speeds and will often not leave town, which means that opposing traffic is also travelling at lower speed.
Also, this article paints a picture that it's safer to ride with grandparents, but older people still have a higher accident rate, which may offset and even overcome the rate of injury per accident.
I'd still much rather drive my son myself.

WesleyCarter of TX 11:27AM July 18, 2011

Yes, but if the grandparents get into accidents 3x as often, that more than negates the effect. They made up 9% of the drivers during accidents, but are they really driving the kids 9% of the time? I'm guessing no.
The rest is, as Bootsie said, most likely due to being slower.

Liz of TX 10:30AM July 18, 2011

Grandparents are less likely to be distracted by texting, talking on a cell phine or other multitasking activities. When they are driving the Grandkids, That's their focus of attention.

Art Williams of ND 10:16AM July 18, 2011

@ Leaping to Conclusions
They did take the number of times a child was in the car with a grandparent into consideration. They said children drive in the car with the grandparent about 9% of the time but that the percentage of kids who are injured while driving with a grandparent is 6%. Then they took into account all the other factors and said kids were 50% less likely to be injured.

Becky of CO 9:37AM July 18, 2011

When all other factors are taken into consideration, the only difference seems to be the use of child safety seats. Why aren't they looking into the safety of those seats as a possible cause? Child safety seats are only tested to speeds of 35mph. I look at this information and think, "Perhaps they should be tested faster. Maybe they're causing more injuries at higher speeds."

Becky of CO 9:35AM July 18, 2011

This study does not show that children are safer with grandparents. The researchers did not examine how often children are actually in the car with grandparents, so it's impossible to know if grandparents get in more accidents with kids than parents do. For example, if kids are with grandparents only 1 of 100 times in the car, but get in accidents 10% of the time instead of 1% of the time, it doesn't really matter if they are only injured in half as many of the accidents with the grandparents.

Noelle123 of WA 9:32AM July 18, 2011