Public Safety
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Teen Drivers 3X as Likely To Be in Deadly Crashes
|
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.