A new survey from Nationwide reported that 4 in 10 parents said they would trust an autonomous vehicle over their teen driver in certain situations, despite ongoing skepticism about the technology.
The survey, which featured 1,005 general consumers, 400 parents of teen drivers and 400 commercial drivers, also discovered an overall pessimism toward driving in the U.S. While most drivers rate their own driving highly, many said the behavior from others on the road is getting worse.
Nearly 9 in 10 drivers said phone use behind the wheel increased in the past year, alongside similar spikes in aggressive and reckless driving. As a result, 40% said they experienced stress while driving. More than two-thirds frequently witnessed road rage.
Company drivers, who operate a vehicle as one of their core job responsibilities and spend more time on the road than most, reported worsening behaviors across the board, including increases in distraction, recklessness and unsafe driving around larger vehicles.
Parents weigh two imperfect options
Anxiety is widespread among families with teen drivers: 91% of parents said they are at least somewhat anxious about their teen's driving. Nearly half (49%) said driving is stressful for their teen.
At the same time, confidence in young drivers remains low. More than 8 in 10 consumers (84%) and parents (85%) believe teens are more distracted than other age groups. Just 12% rated teen drivers as very good or excellent. Nearly nine in 10 also said teens need more behind-the-wheel training.
As that anxiety builds, many parents are rethinking what safety looks like. In fact, 40% of parents with teen drivers believe that autonomous vehicles may be a safer option than their teens learning to drive.
Company drivers reinforce the trend
Company drivers reported noticeable increases in risky driving behaviors when compared to results from the 2025 Driving Behaviors study, including a 10-point rise in distraction (77%) and recklessness (73%) and a 15-point increase (74%) in unsafe driving around commercial vehicles.
Nearly half of commercial drivers (47%) said they feel stressed, exhausted and frustrated while driving for work, and 60% worry that aggressive drivers could cause an accident.
