As School Winds Down / Summer Break Winds Up, Crashes Involving Teens Increase
School will soon be “out”, and that unfortunately means roadway risks are “in” for the summer for teenage drivers. The days between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the time period where crash fatalities involving a teen driver historically rise, making those summer days the 100 Deadliest Days of the year.
“Traffic crashes remain one of the leading causes of death for U.S teens between the ages of 16 and 19,” says Morgan Dean, Manager for Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Teens often have a lot of unstructured time in the summer, but don’t have the experience and skills of older drivers. Those factors can often lead to deadly consequences on the road.”
Nationwide, 6,697 people died in teen driver-related summertime crashes between 2013 and 2022. That is nearly half of the total number of those killed in teen-driver crashes for the entire rest of the year. And in 2022 alone, 707 people were killed in these types of crashes – a 10% increase over pre-pandemic 2019.
In Virginia, 151 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers during the 100 deadliest days from 2013 to 2022, representing 33% of all teen-involved vehicle crash fatalities during that 10-year period.
AAA Mid-Atlantic encourages teen drivers to double down on staying focused when driving, buckling up for every ride and driving within posted speed limits. Parents should also talk to their teens specifically about the dangers of impaired driving.- 22% of 15 to 18 year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking
- 50% of teen drivers who died were unbuckled
- 30% of all motor vehicle deaths involving a teen driver were speed-related
- Driving 10 mph over the speed limit on a residential street (39%)
- Driving 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway (34%)
- Texting (28%)
- Red-light running (27%)
- Aggressive driving (25%)
- Drowsy driving (16%)
- Driving without a seatbelt (12%)
- Drinking enough alcohol to be over the adult legal limit (4%)
- Riding in a car driven by someone who has had too much alcohol (8%)
- Driving within an hour of having used marijuana (6%)
- 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 eliminate their own risky behavior when driving.
- Establish a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers.
- Conduct at least 60 hours of supervised practice driving with their teen, including 10 hours of night driving.
- When evaluating a driving school for your teen, make sure the curriculum is up to date and includes topics like: advanced vehicle technology, the effects of cannabis on driving abilities, changes to Move Over laws, and sharing the road with vulnerable road users. Parents may also want to find a school that hosts parent specific sessions to help guide them through the process.
- Slow Down. Speeding is considered to be the number one factor contributing to the increase in roadway fatalities. Speeding is typically responsible for about 30% of all deadly crashes over the summer.
- Buckle Up. Since the pandemic, there has been a sharp increase in unrestrained occupant deaths and ejections. Seat belts save lives―it’s that simple. Children who are taught to buckle up, every trip, every time, are more likely to continue the habit into adulthood.
- Don’t Drive Impaired. According to the NHTSA, alcohol is involved in over 20% of all fatal crashes in the summer months. Public health researchers have found that fatal crashes involving cannabis are also on the rise. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or any impairing substance, including prescription medications.
- Drive Defensively. While you cannot control the behavior of others, driving defensively will increase the time you have to react to another driver out of control.
- Limit Distractions. According to the NHTSA, dialing a phone number while driving increases your teen’s risk of crashing by six times, and texting while driving increases the risk by 23 times. Put down the phone and limit other distractions to give your full attention to the task of driving.
- Look Out for Pedestrians and Cyclists. Pedestrian deaths reached a four-decade high of more than 7,500 deaths in 2022. In addition NHTSA found that there were over 850 bicyclists killed and more than 50,000 injured in collisions with cars and trucks in 2022, a 12% increase in fatalities and an 8% rise in injuries compared to 2021. Share the road.
