Nationwide, 7,124 people died in crashes involving teen drivers from 2011 to 2020 during the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The combination of school vacation, and COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, could prove deadly as teens take to the road this summer. AAA recommends that now is a good time for parents to both model safe driving behaviors and help ensure their teens practice them too.
“There are more daily deaths in crashes involving teen drivers during the summer months than the rest of the year because teens tend to have more unstructured time behind the wheel,” said Diana Gugliotta, AAA Northeast’s Senior Manager of Public Affairs. “So what can be done? We can encourage teens to double down on staying focused when driving, buckling up for every ride, and driving within posted speed limits. It’s never too soon to educate teens on the dangers of the impairing effects of alcohol and marijuana. But actions speak louder than words. Remember to model good behavior because your teen won’t take your advice seriously if you don’t follow it yourself.”
Due to their inexperience, teen drivers are at a higher risk of crashes. According to the AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index, about 72% of teen drivers aged 16-18 admitted to having engaged in at least one of the following risky behaviors in the past 30 days:
- Driving 10 mph over the speed limit on a residential street (47%)
- Driving 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway (40%)
- Texting (35%)
- Red-light running (32%)
- Aggressive driving (31%)
- Drowsy driving (25%)
- Driving without a seatbelt (17%)
To keep roads safer this summer, AAA encourages parents to:
- Always buckle up
- Refrain from driving impaired
- Put your phone away on focus on the task of driving
- Follow posted speed limits