Two Way Street: New Survey from USAA Shows Driving Apps Help Connect Parents and Young Drivers on Importance of Safe Driving, Leading to Safer Roads

SAN ANTONIO – Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in teens (ages 15-18), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), yet so many can be prevented with effective safe driving habits. To kick off National Teen Driver Safety Week, USAA is reminding young drivers and their parents of the importance of safe driving practices every time they get behind the wheel. These habits can be somewhat difficult for young drivers to develop, when they are surrounded by distractions, so driving apps can be there to protect young drivers even when their parent isn’t in the car.

To test this, USAA sponsored a survey that spoke to parents of drivers ages 16-20 on the positive impacts that these apps have on their child’s safe driving habits. The survey, which was conducted by Endeavor Analytics and YouGov, also looked at how the parents themselves were deploying these apps when prioritizing their teen’s driving skills.

Not Surprisingly, Most Parents Dread the Passing Grade

Any driver’s first time getting behind the wheel can be extremely nerve-wracking, but when it comes to young drivers, parents are especially worried. Over 93% of survey respondents stated they are concerned when their child gets behind the wheel. The main stressors? Distracted driving due to phone usage (50%) and overall inexperience (49%).  

Parents have every right to be concerned about distracted driving due to phone usage, and there’s research to back this up. According to NHTSA, texting while driving increases a teen’s risk of crashing by 23 times, so it is important that parents prevent this dangerous, potentially deadly habit from forming in young drivers.

New Technology Provides Peace of Mind

To help combat these concerns, many parents have utilized new technology, such as tracking and behavior-based apps to help monitor their child’s driving habits. These apps can track a multitude of driving behaviors from cell phone usage to hard breaking and even sharp turns. Of the survey respondents, 46% of have downloaded or invested in these applications. 

Among those parents that use driving apps, 86% check the app at least weekly, with almost half (49%) checking it daily. For many parents, monitoring their child’s driving, whether off to school or on the weekends, empowers them to provide valuable feedback creating that necessary awareness and peace of mind when their child is behind the wheel.

… And It’s Proven to Pay Off for Parents and Child

Because these apps provide comprehensive data to users in addition to real time feedback, 87% of parents with a driving app felt their child’s driving improved since using the app. Young drivers were more observant of speed limits, less distracted by their cell phone, and had better awareness of other drivers.

Those who saw improvement credit the child’s increased awareness of their driving habits (55%), parental feedback (53%) and real time feedback from the app (41%). The data and reports in driving apps can help parents with those difficult conversations on driving, which are necessary for instituting safe driving habits.

“At USAA, we’re committed to helping foster better driving habits and creating safer roads for all, but especially among our youngest drivers,” says Randy Termeer, USAA President of Property & Casualty. “This National Teen Driver Safety Week, we want to take the time to remind both our young drivers and their parents that resources like USAA’s SafePilot can help provide that peace of mind every time their child gets behind the wheel.”

SafePilot is USAA’s behavior-based insurance app which leverages telematics technology to provide feedback on driving behaviors. Similar to the survey, SafePilot data shows an improvement in driving behaviors for members who opt into the discount program. The app rewards safe driving with premium discounts for exhibiting safe driving behaviors. By incentivizing safe driving practices, SafePilot aims to reduce accidents, improve road safety and reward participants with discounts on their insurance. SafePilot is currently available in 47 states plus Washington D.C. For more information, visit usaa.com/SafePilot.

Held annually during the third week of October, National Teen Driver Safety Week is powered by the NHTSA which is a branch of the United States Department of Transportation. The week is aimed to help raise awareness for the risks teens will face on the road and provide helpful tips for safe, mindful driving.

Survey Methodology

Source: Endeavor Analytics x YouGov Custom Dataset. Online survey among 2,027 U.S. adults who are parents of a driver ages 16-20. Fielded 9/12/2024 – 9/16/2024. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults (18+).

About USAA

Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking and retirement solutions and serves more than 13.5 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio, USAA has offices in eight U.S. cities and three overseas locations and employs more than 37,000 people worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local nonprofits in support of military families and communities where employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or X (@usaa), or visit usaa.com.