Transportation leaders are urging families to take extra caution over the next few months on our nation's roads. The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the 100 deadliest on our roadways since the number of deadly crashes involving teen drivers typically rises. Traffic safety managers with AAA attribute the deaths to students being out of school, driving more often over the summer, and taking fewer drives with a focused destination. There's also the reality that more teens tend to be in the car together and there is more nighttime driving.
Auto crashes are the leading cause of death of young people between ages 16-19. According to AAA, nearly 6,700 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver between Memorial Day and Labor Day from 2013 to 2022. In 2022 alone, 707 people were killed in these types of crashes - a 10% increase over pre-pandemic numbers in 2019.
Last year in Florida, teenagers were involved in 20,000 crashes in the Sunshine State during these 100 days. In another sobering statistic, for every mile driven, new teen drivers are 3 times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults.
There are several common Risk Factors: distracted driving plays a role in nearly 6 of 10 crashes; electronics like cell phones are the second biggest distraction; and the largest risk factor is other teen passengers in the car.
Research shows that having other teens in the car can contribute to peer pressure and dangerous driving habits like speeding and aggressive driving. Speeding is a factor in nearly 30% of deadly crashes involving teens - so is not wearing a seat belt. Wearing a seat belt can significantly reduce the risk of dying or being seriously injured in a crash. Teen drivers may revert to bad habits like not signaling, not making complete stops, not checking blind spots, and not keeping a safe distance from other vehicles.
Law enforcement officials remind parents of teen drivers to set guidelines before turning over the car keys. Talk about safe driving and how it can affect their life as well as impact the lives of others. AAA encourages parents to lead by example, teach defensive driving skills, and set rules when teens can drive and who they can go with. Additional rules need to be set about driving alcohol- and drug-free and limiting the number of passengers allowed in the car. It is a good idea to ensure teens have logged at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving in a variety of conditions.
AAA can help prepare teens through their How to Drive online course which delivers rules and essential elements of safe driving in an interactive and innovative way - visit their website at https://www.aaadriverprogram.com/
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