MUMS and dads are being offered driving lessons after a survey revealed only a handful of them thought they could teach their children to drive.

Out of 2,270 parents quizzed for the study only 13 per cent reckoned they would be a good role model behind the wheel.

The research, which was conducted by the UK's largest pre-17 driving school Young Driver, has prompted the organisation to launch a special driving lesson for parents who want to refresh their knowledge and make sure bad habits haven't slipped in.

Parents are also welcome to sit in the back of their child's Young Driver lesson to observe the teaching from the qualified driving instructors, with the scheme having delivered 1.4 million lessons to youngsters aged from 10-17.

Lance Peake, a team manager at Young Driver who has been a driving instructor for over 15 years, said: "From a young age children are observing their parents behind the wheel.

"Parents often realise they need to be on best driving behaviour when their child hits 17, but there's been many years before that when they've quietly been watching. Things like using your palm to control the steering wheel, being distracted by a phone, speeding, tailgating - they can all become normalised, even just on the school run.

"As an instructor, spending half an hour with a parent on a Young Driver course and observing their driving technique can help us easily identify any potential problems - and it also naturally makes the parent more aware of any bad habits.

"But even if they sit in the back of a Young Driver lesson with their child, they'll pick up some great tips from the instructor and see more clearly how kids are taught nowadays. You can start talking to your child about driving from a young age, explaining the gears and the pedals, and it can be very helpful for when they first get behind the wheel. But it's important to be demonstrating the right habits to them from an early age too."

Young Driver surveyed 150 of the driving instructors who work with the scheme, and asked them about the worst habits learners pick up from their parents which are:

Children as young as 10 can learn to drive in dual control cars at Young Drive, with government approved instructors.

They learn the basics of changing gear, steering and controlling the vehicle at over 70 private venues across the country.

More than 1.4 million lessons have been given since the scheme launched in 2009, and research shows early driver tuition can dramatically reduce the accident rate for newly qualified drivers.