June: ‘Deadliest’ Month for CT Teen Drivers

Posted on May 27, 2020

Buckle your seat belts: the 100 “Deadliest Days” has begun!

 

It’s the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when motorists are more likely to be injured or killed in crashes involving teen drivers.

 

Nationwide, more than 8,300 people died in teen-related summertime crashes between 2008 and 2018, equivalent to more than seven people a day each summer, reports research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

 

Closer to home, AAA Northeast gleaned data from the UCONN Crash Data Repository and learned between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2019, more than 3,300 teen drivers were involved in crashes statewide,  — equivalent to one teen driver crash every 42 minutes. In fact, 6 of 12 fatally injured teen drivers in Connecticut were killed during that period.

 

From 2015 – 2019, June was the number 1 month for teen driver crashes in Connecticut, according to the Repository.

 

“As teens hit the road this summer, a combination of closed schools, curtailed activities, cancelled summer jobs and eased Covid-19 restrictions could very well contribute to teen crashes,” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “Couple these elements with behind-the-wheel inexperience, and we find teen drivers are a much higher risk on the road than other age groups.”

 

Speed, reckless driving, failure to yield rights of way, and the inability to lanes are all contributing factors to teen deaths in the Nutmeg State, according to the Repository.

 

The AAA Foundation research also found for every mile driven, new teen drivers, between 16 and 17 years of age, are three times more likely to be involved in deadly crashes compared to adults.

 

“The last decade of crash data shows teens continue to be over-represented in crashes,” said Dr. David Yang, the Foundation’s executive director. “And summertime marks an increase of fatal crashes for this age group.”

 

In its new Traffic Safety Culture Index, a report that examines the attitudes and behaviors related to traffic safety, about 72% of teen drivers between 16 and 18 years of age admitted they engaged in a risky behavior in the past 30 days. These included:

  • 47% who said they’ve driven 10 mph over the speed limit on a residential street
  • 40% who said they’ve driven 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway
  • 35% who said they’ve texted while driving
  • 32% who said they’ve run red lights.

 

Significant percentages also report teen have driven aggressively, while drowsy or without a seatbelt.

 

AAA recommends that now is a good time for parents to both model safe driving behaviors and help ensure their teens practice them too.

 

“Parents remain the best line of defense to keep everyone safe behind the wheel,” said Jennifer Ryan, AAA’s Director of State Relations. “It’s never too soon to educate teens on the dangers of distracted driving, speeding, and the impairing effects of alcohol and marijuana. But we can’t just tell teens about the dangers. We must also refrain from engaging in risky driving behaviors and ensure we are modeling good behavior.”

 

To keep roads safer this summer, AAA encourages parents to:

 

  • Talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior behind the wheel, such as speeding, impairment and distracted driving.
  • Teach by example and minimize risky behavior when driving.
  • Establish a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers.
  • Conduct at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving with their teen.

 

Education, proper driver training and parental involvement help teens become better, safer drivers on roadways, said Mayko. “It’s never too soon to educate teens on the dangers of distracted driving, speeding, and the impairing effects of alcohol and marijuana while driving.

 

Parents and teens should visit TeenDriving.AAA.com for the tools to prepare teens for the dangerous summer driving season.

Connecticut
<< Back to Press Releases



Navigation

  • View All Press Releases
  • Archived Press Releases

By Date

  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019

By State

  • All States
  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Rhode Island

By Topic

  • AAA Foundation (3)
  • AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (3)
  • AAA Travel (1)
  • adas (2)
  • Agent of Honor (1)
  • automated vehicle (1)
  • automotive (45)
  • car doctor (3)
  • car maintenance (2)
  • car seats (1)
  • car tips (8)
  • child passenger safety (1)
  • child restraints (1)
  • Christmas (4)
  • cold weather (3)
  • connecticut (35)
  • CPS (1)
  • CPS week (1)
  • crashes (3)
  • daylight saving time (1)
  • deer (2)
  • deer collisions (2)
  • destination (1)
  • destination wedding (1)
  • diamond (5)
  • diamond hotels (1)
  • diamond program (5)
  • diamond rating (5)
  • diamond restaurants (1)
  • distracted (3)
  • distracted driving (4)
  • distracted driving law (1)
  • driving tips (6)
  • drowsy driving (1)
  • five diamond (5)
  • four diamond (5)
  • gas prices (100)
  • hands-free (1)
  • high tech (2)
  • holiday travel (13)
  • hotel (5)
  • hotels (5)
  • impaired driving (5)
  • law (1)
  • marijuana (3)
  • Massachusetts (51)
  • MassDOT (1)
  • memorial day (1)
  • move over (1)
  • new jersey (8)
  • new york (1)
  • preparation (2)
  • restaurant (4)
  • restuarants (5)
  • Rhode Island (46)
  • rv (1)
  • safe driving (2)
  • safety (14)
  • safety tips (12)
  • self driving car (1)
  • slow down move over (1)
  • storm (2)
  • storm prep (1)
  • summer (4)
  • summer driving (1)
  • summer travel (1)
  • technology (5)
  • teen driving (2)
  • thanksgiving (6)
  • travel (71)
  • travel agent (1)
  • Travel Marketplace (1)
  • triptik (3)
  • vacation (1)
  • weather (4)
  • winter (7)
  • winter driving (3)