Abstract
Parents are central to many learn to drive programmes internationally. This study surveys young drivers from Victoria and Queensland in Australia to examine if parental style impacts (a) intentions to offend on the road and (b) perceptions of police. Maccoby and Martin's four parenting styles: (1) Authoritative, (2) Authoritarian, (3) Permissive, and (4) Neglectful inform the survey design. Results suggest that fixed offences like wearing a seatbelt or DUI are not impacted by different parental styles, while transient offences like speeding or dangerous driving are impacted. Specifically, young drivers with Authoritative or Authoritarian parents, who have higher levels of control, were less likely to speed or drive dangerously. Perceptions of police were also affected by parental style. Young drivers with Authoritative or Authoritarian parents had more positive perceptions of police than Neglectful or Permissive parents. The results suggest that parental support and education programmes could be developed to encourage parents to monitor their young person's early driving career more closely.