Monsters behind the wheel
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Mhen the Hawk was a fledgling, sitting in the back seat of a car on a family outing, the only thing that worried me was the constancy of the supply of Spangles, Fruit Gums and Liquorice Allsorts. Within a short period of time this led to the grown-ups in the front worrying exactly how long I was going to be sick at the roadside and how late this would make them.
Today's kids, and grown-ups, are different. The young 'uns, it seems, are terrified of their parents, who turn into monsters behind the wheel by speeding, swearing, shouting and generally getting into a right old paddy. So says a survey by National Breakdown which reveals that nine out of 10 adults drive badly according to their young charges. Children feel safer with men drivers: 16% feel uneasy with women while 11% feel worried when pop takes the wheel. Sonic children, it seems, have aliens for parents. Alison, 10, from Manchester says her father's driving deteriorates when he sees "women in hats". Top that one.