Keeping Teen Drivers Safe During the Dreaded 100 Deadliest Days
Keeping teen drivers safe
(AAA) — The glorious time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is celebrated as summer. This is the time for bar-be-ques, pool parties, beach parties, and living carefree, especially for teenage drivers experiencing their first true taste of freedom. These 100 days spanning the summer months are also the 100 deadliest days for teenage drivers in the year. According to statistics from AAA indicating that car accidents killed more than 8,300 teenagers from 2008 to 2018. Several factors contribute to the annual spike in teenage tragedy. Inexperience, distraction, speeding, and drinking combine to kill more teens in vehicular accidents than any other time of the year.
Auto accidents remain the primary cause of death for teenagers in the United States. Around 260 teenagers die every year during the 100 deadliest days. Those numbers represent an increase of 26 percent over the other 8-plus months of the year.
The primary cause of accidents that killed teenagers reflects how inexperience and a lack of appreciation for the dangers of driving conspire to take young lives. About 60 percent of teenage car accidents happened because of distractions. Young drivers are easily distracted by passengers and account for more crashes than when the driver is texting or talking on the phone.
Inexperience behind the wheel is a killer. Sixteen and seventeen-year-old drivers are about four times as likely to be involved in a crash than drivers eighteen and up. Sixteen and seventeen-year-old drivers are more than 4.5 times more likely to crash a car, and 3.2 times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers between the ages of 30 and 50.
Parents and guardians play a tremendous role in keeping their teens safe while on the road. Teens must learn to use a safety belt every time they enter an auto. They must also be warned, repeatedly, about the dangers of distracted driving as well as driving after drinking alcohol.
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