Buckle your seat belts, teens; the 100 “Deadliest Days” has begun. This is the period between Memorial and Labor Day when new teen drivers are three times as likely as adults to be involved in a deadly crash, says the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
During this period, the average number of deadly teen driver crashes climb 15% compared to the rest of the year for three main reasons:
- Distractions, primarily talking to other vehicle passengers and interacting with smartphones which plays a role in nearly six out of 10 teen crashes.
- Driving/riding unbuckled in a vehicle. In 2015 — the latest data available — 60% of teen drivers killed weren’t wearing a seat belt; and
- Speeding — a factor in nearly 30% of fatal crashes involving teen drivers.
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— an announcement from AAA Northeast
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Over the past five years, more than 1,600 people were killed in crashes involving inexperienced teen drivers during this deadly period.
“Statistics show teen crashes spike during the summer because teens are out of school and on the road,” said Dr. David Yang, the Foundation’s executive director. “Our latest research finds inexperience paired with greater exposure on the road could create a deadly combination for teen drivers.”
The Foundation’s latest study analyzes crash rates-per-mile-driven for all drivers and found for every mile on the road, drivers ages 16-17 years old are:
- Nearly four times as likely as drivers 18 and older to be involved in a crash
- Nearly three times as likely as drivers 18 and older to be involved in a fatal crash
- More than four times as likely as drivers 30-59 to be involved in a crash
- More than three times as likely as drivers 30-59 to be involved in a fatal crash
Based on 2015 crash data, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports an increase of more than 10% in teen fatal crashes from the previous year.
To reverse this alarming trend, AAA urges parents — who are the front line of defense — to talk to their teen drivers about the dangers of risky behavior behind the wheel. That discussion includes modeling good behavior, staying off the phone, buckling one’s seatbelt; and agreeing upon driving rules.
AAA has developed a website which offers various tools to prepare parents and teens for the dangerous summer driving season.
The online AAA StartSmart program also offers great resources for parents on how to become effective in-car coaches and advice on how to manage their teen’s overall driving privileges.
Teens should enroll in a driver education program that teaches driver safety skills.
AAA also offers membership discounts for new teen drivers to help keep them safe on the road in case of an emergency.