**3.1 Parent sample characteristics**

Of the valid 191 responses, just over half of the sample were male (53.40%). As for ethnicity, 72.78% of the participants were White, 12.57% were Asian, and 6.28% were Black or African American, 4.71% of participants identified as Mixed or Other, 2.09% were American Indian or Alaskan Native, 1.05% were Hispanic or Latino, and 0.52% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

Education levels varied, with the largest grouping being a bachelor's degree (52.88%), followed by an associate degree and a high school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (11.52% each). About one tenth (10.99%) of the sample held a master's degree and 8.90% held some college credit. The smallest two groups included 2.62% holding a doctorate and 1.57% having trade, technical, or vocational training.

All participants were licensed drivers, with an average of 21.74 years of driving experience (SD = 9.35). When asked about the number of accidents they have personally caused, nearly half of the participants responded with none (47.64%). Less than 3.68% of respondents reported causing more than 2 accidents in their lifetime.

### **3.2 Teenager sample characteristics**

The average age of the 191 teenagers that participants responded for was 15.75 years old (SD = 1.90). Slightly more than half (57.07%) of the sample was male. They also had a very similar breakdown of ethnicities as the parent group.

As some of the participants' children were not yet of legal driving age, 25.13% (n = 48) of the teenage sample consisted of non-drivers, 49.74% (n = 95) had their learner's permit or equivalent provisional license and the remaining 25.13% (n = 48) were fully licensed drivers (**Figure 1**). Among these teenagers, there was an average of 0.97 years of driving experience, with a standard deviation of 1.47 years (**Figure 2**). In parent's subjective report of their child's driving performance, over half of participants rated their child as an average driver as seen in **Figure 3** (52.88%, n = 101). Participants also reported that 85.23% (n = 164) of the teenage sample had never caused an accident (**Figure 4**).

When asked if their child's ability to drive helps the family's overall transportation needs, many parents "somewhat agreed" (36.65%, n = 70) or "strongly agreed"

**Figure 1.** *Teenager license status.*

**Figure 2.** *Number of years of driving experience for teenagers.*

*Parent Opinions of Automated Vehicles and Young Driver Mobility DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105531*
