Parents who drive irresponsibly target of new safety campaign Parents will be urged to drive responsibly while their children are in the car to prevent passing on bad driving habits to the next generation, the Transport Minister has announced. A new government campaign will focus on those who may think they drive well, but act differently in the rush of the school run or other stressful situations. Research shows that children absorb the habits of their parents from an early age and may go on to mimic them in later life, according to the Scottish Government. Mairi Blair, assistant director at government agency Road Safety Scotland, said: "Most people think they're a good driver but in a rushed or more stressful situation, on the school run for example, these pressures can sometimes mean people act in ways they usually wouldn't. We hope this campaign will emphasise the link between what children see from their vantage point in the back seat of the car from their parents and other role models now, and how they'll be as drivers themselves in the future. The social marketing campaign, described as a world-first, includes television, cinema, radio and online advertising. Dr Bill Carcary, a psychologist and former sergeant at Tayside Police, said: "Children tend to share the same beliefs and attitudes of their significant others, whether negative or positive, without scrutiny. Children simply mimic to become socially acceptable. Put simply, they can be taught to do as you say but they will nearly always do as you do, and this applies to all areas of life including driving behaviours and road safety. Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "This is the first campaign in the world to raise awareness of the profound influence parents have on future road users. Every week, a car driver aged between 17 and 20 is killed or seriously injured on Scotland's roads. While the numbers of road casualties in Scotland are at their lowest-ever level, there is still simply no room for complacency. One death on Scotland's roads is one too many and our focus continues to be on reducing the numbers down further. It is vital that this issue is addressed from a young age to give our children the best possible start when they come to drive themselves. Potentially, the type of driver a child will become is being influenced every time he/she gets into the car with parents or carers.