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During the past five years, nearly 3,500 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers during the 100 Deadliest Days, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when the number of crash fatalities involving a teen driver historically rise because teens are out of school. AAA officials are warning parents and teens alike to take precautions to avoid becoming statistics.
The average number of deaths from crashes involving teen drivers ages 15-18 was 17 percent higher per day compared to other days of the year. Reckless behavior like drinking and driving, speeding and distraction are contributing to the number of crash deaths involving teen drivers each summer, according to AAA.
More than half of teen drivers (52 percent) in the AAA Foundation’s latest Traffic Safety Culture Index report reading a text message or email while driving in the past 30 days and nearly 40 percent report sending a text or email.
Additional AAA Foundation research using in-vehicle dash-cam videos of teen driver crashes found distraction was involved in 58 percent of teen crashes, approximately four times as many as federal estimates. It is difficult for law enforcement to detect distraction following a crash, which has made distracted driving one of the most under-reported traffic safety issues, according to AAA.
Speeding significantly increases the severity of a crash and is a growing problem among teen drivers. In the AAA Foundation’s latest Traffic Safety Culture Index, half (49.7 percent) of teen drivers reported speeding on a residential street in the past 30 days and nearly 40 percent say they sped on the freeway. Also, despite the fact that teens cannot legally consume alcohol, one in six teen drivers involved in fatal crashes during the summer tested positive for alcohol.
“Parents have plenty to be concerned about as their teen hits the road this summer,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Martha Mitchell Meade.“Teens are making deadly mistakes on the road. Parents are the best line of defense to keep everyone safe behind the wheel.”
To keep roads safer this summer, AAA officials encourage parents to talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior behind the wheel, to teach by example and minimize risky behavior when driving, and to make a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers.
“Storing your phone out of reach, minding the speed limit, and staying away from impairing substances like alcohol and marijuana will help prevent many crashes from ever occurring,” Meade said, encouraging parents and teens to visit TeenDriving.AAA.com and the online AAA StartSmart program for tips on managing teen driving privileges and becoming effective in-car coaches.
