Partnership between Toyota New Zealand and Ryda looks to teach parents how to become driving role models

New research from Road Safety Education Limited (RSE), providers of the Ryda and Drive Coach programmes, has demonstrated just why the Drive Coach partnership between RSE and Toyota New Zealand is so critical, revealing a direct and alarming link between parents' mobile phone habits while driving and their children's future behind-the-wheel behaviour.

A survey of 260 students across 22 schools throughout Australia and New Zealand, conducted ahead of National Road Safety Week (11-18 May), found that students who observed parents taking photos or videos while driving were nearly five times more likely to intend to do the same.

Those who witnessed parents texting were nearly three times more likely to text themselves, while seeing parents make handheld calls resulted in a 68% increase in the likelihood of replicating this behaviour. Even legal activities showed significant influence, with students who saw parents making hands-free calls 2.5 times more likely to follow suit.

John Elliott, Head of Program Delivery at RSE Australia, described the results as a pivotal moment in understanding the formation of dangerous driving habits.

"This research confronts us with an uncomfortable truth - our children are watching and learning from every move we make behind the wheel," said Elliott.

"The data clearly shows that when young people observe their parents using phones whilst driving, they're dramatically more likely to normalise and ultimately replicate these behaviours. Encouragingly, over 95% of Ryda students indicated they were likely to use, or have already started using, Ryda strategies for managing phones while driving, including switching on do-not-disturb mode or switching the phone off completely, and keeping it out of sight in the glovebox.”

“Parents need to understand that every time they reach for their phone, they're not just putting lives at immediate risk - they're programming future driving behaviours that could have consequences for decades."

It’s research like this that has driven the development of RSE’s latest best practice programme in partnership with Toyota New Zealand, Drive Coach, which aims to get teenagers and their parents on the same page with regards to safe road use.

Those early days on the road are critical, says Susanne Hardy Assistant Vice President, Toyota New Zealand.

“Young drivers and their passengers are over-represented in our road trauma statistics. And when something goes wrong, it’s not just the individuals involved who are affected, it’s family, friends, schools, and entire communities who feel the impact. Research shows that how parents and caregivers engage with teens around driving can make a huge difference to the decisions young people make behind the wheel, and now we know just how important it is to lead by example,” she said.

“At Toyota, we live and breathe a safety culture in all we do. It’s a fundamental part of our DNA, from how we design our vehicles, to how we support our communities. We are developing technologies to improve driver safety, but that must be supported by education, behaviour, and culture. Ryda is the human side of road safety, helping young people build awareness, make better decisions, and develop lifelong habits that technology can then support.”