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Top 5 ways you're a hypocritical driver

And your teenage kids spot it every time.

Brian Cooley Editor at Large
Brian Cooley is CNET's Editor at large and has been with the brand since 1995. He currently focuses on electrification of vehicles but also follows the big trends in smart home, digital healthcare, 5G, the future of food, and augmented & virtual realities. Cooley is a sought after presenter by brands and their agencies when they want to understand how consumers react to new technologies. He has been a regular featured speaker at CES, Cannes Lions, Advertising Week and The PHM HealthFront™. He was born and raised in Silicon Valley when Apple's campus was mostly apricots.
Expertise Automotive technology, smart home, digital health. Credentials
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Brian Cooley
2 min read
Liberty Mutual

"Do as I say, not as I do" is a classic from the parenting toolbox, but when it comes to driving it has serious reverberations. Much of what you teach your kids about safe driving has nothing to do with speed or caution, and everything to do with walking your talk.

A recent survey of 2,000 teens by ORC International for Liberty Mutual asked them how their parents react when called out on bad driving. Here are the five most common reactions, ranked by the percent of teens who have experienced them.

Watch this: Top 5 ways your kid knows you're a hypocritical driver

"Shut up, I pay for your car and insurance!" (10 percent) 
Nice. It may be true, but probably not forever. And is that the anvil upon which you want to forge good driving habits? 

"I'm in a hurry." (16 percent)
Your teen will play that same card when they come home with a ticket for texting and driving. And you'll invariably tell them it can wait but, from what you've shown, it doesn't need to.

*Silence* (20 percent)
A fifth of teens say they received no acknowledgement when they called out mom or dad behind the wheel. 

"I know what I'm doing." (36 percent) 
The claim of exceptionalism, long favored by those responsible for airline crashes, mine collapses and botched surgeries. Don't align yourself with that crowd.

"Yeah, you're right." (56 percent)
How refreshing. But the percentage of teens who hear it should be a lot closer to 100 percent. Acknowledging your kids when they spot your dicey driving is paying it forward to your grandkids, since they'll be raised by an open-minded, safe driver. Of course, they won't need to drive them by the time they're 16.