The deadliest days for teen drivers

Summer is equal to freedom in the eyes of a teenager. School’s out for more than two months and the time is essentially their own. Many spend the days swimming, laying out or traveling with friends.

Unfortunately, the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day serve as the most deadly for teen drivers.

During these 100 days in 2012, almost 1,000 people died in accidents involving teen drivers, with more than half being teenagers according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.

The increase makes sense, considering teens drive more for recreation in the summer while transporting friends. A study of 52 high school-aged drivers found when there were loud conversations, the young drivers were six times more likely to swerve or brake to avoid an accident.

Overall, teens are three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than those who are older with more experience. One third of teen deaths occur when 16-year-old drivers have at least one teen passenger with them. Accident rates double at night for teenagers.  All new drivers, even those deemed “good kids” are at risk to join the 2,800 young people who lose their lives in crashes every year.

Parents, pay close attention to your young drivers this summer. It’s your responsibility to keep them safe! Here are some tips to help save lives:

• Make sure your teen and passengers always wear their seatbelts. While you can’t always be in the car with them, reiterate the importance and necessity not only to keep yourself safe, but others in the vehicle. That simple click reduces the risk of death in an accident by 50 percent.
• Limit the number of passengers allowed in the car with your teen. By placing a limit, you may decrease the noise and distraction level, reducing your child’s risk of becoming a statistic.
• Create curfews to keep your child from staying out too late and driving in the dark. Driving at night can be a necessity, but not in all situations. Curfews may seem strict, but they also serve to bring your teen driver home at a safe time.

We can’t control other drivers on the road, but we can do everything in our power to travel safely. Be careful and enjoy the summer.

Footnotes

CDC. (2014). Parents are the key to safe teen drivers. Injury  Center. [Link]

CDC. (2014). Seat belts fact sheet. Injury Prevention & Control: Motor Vehicle Safety. [Link]

Wallace, K. (2014). Parents, beware: These are the 100 deadliest days for teens. CNN. [Link]