PARENTS are being urged to get more involved in teaching their children about driving responsibly.

Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety is making the plea after its research revealed that young drivers find it acceptable to eat, drink, put on make-up and even text while trying to steer their cars.

The study of 14 to 21-year-olds found they behave very differently in cars when they are with their friends. They are more likely to ignore seat-belts, drive faster to impress the opposite sex, play loud music and show off.

This ‘multi-tasking’ is often achieved by steering with elbows or knees with their eyes off the road, the research found. Passengers are equally as bad, according to the study, as they admit to pulling up the handbrake and fiddling with lights and stereos to annoy the driver.

The partnership has now launched a programme of workshops for parents. The sessions will highlight the hidden behaviour of their children, the warning signs and offer advice on how they can step in to keep them safe.

Linda Sanderson, Lanc-ashire Partnership for Road Safety: “Our children want the independence and freedom a car provides, but this sort of behaviour will kill someone and the driver could get 14 years in prison.

“We are appealing to parents to really examine how their children may be behaving when they are not there and do something about it before it is too late.”

The survey was revealed as the partnership yesterday celebrated winning an award for its Missing Matthew DVD, produced in conjunction with our Wasted Lives campaign which aims to cut the carnage of young drivers on our roads.

It won a Prince Michael International award for its “novel and innovative approach" to road safety.