100 Deadliest Days of Driving
by Daniel Wagner | 3 October 2022 | Car Accident, Uncategorized
If you have a teen driver in your family, you NEED to know about the 100 Deadliest Days of Driving. What are the 100 Deadliest Days of Driving? Why is the summer so dangerous for teen drivers? What can you do as a parent to keep your teen safe on the road? Here is what you need to know about the 100 Deadliest Days of Driving.
Have you or your teen been injured in a crash that was the fault of the other driver? The experienced attorneys at iLawyerUp may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.
What Are the 100 Deadliest Days of Driving?
The 100 Deadliest Days span the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day – a time when fatal teen crashes dramatically increase. In fact, more than 30% of deaths involving teen drivers occur during this time period. From 2010 to 2019, more than 7,000 people across the country died in teen-related crashes during the summer months.
What Dangers Do Teens Face on the Road?
Teen drivers are involved in significantly more fatal crashes than older drivers for a wide variety of reasons.
Inexperience
As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect” – and teens simply do not have the years or decades of practice driving that adults do, leading to more mistakes.
Drugs and Alcohol
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about two-thirds of students have tried alcohol by 12th grade, and about half of 9th through 12th-grade students reported ever having used marijuana. Combine these statistics with teenage drivers, and you get deadly disasters waiting to happen.
Seatbelt Use
Teens and young adults have the lowest rates of seatbelt use of any age group, at about 87%. In 2019, 43.1% of U.S. high school students did not always wear a seat belt when riding in a car driven by someone else, and almost half of all teen drivers and passengers who died in car crashes in 2019 were unrestrained at the time of the accident.
Night and Weekend Driving
Driving at night, especially on the weekend, is much more dangerous due to fatigue, reduced visibility, and impaired drivers on the road, making night and weekend driving more dangerous for teens.
Speeding
Teens are more likely to speed than drivers in other age groups, and increased speeds can lead to more fatal accidents. Nearly 1 in 3 teen male drivers who were involved in fatal crashes in 2019 were speeding.
Distracted Driving
In one survey, nearly 4 out of 10 (39%) high school students admitted to texting or emailing while driving at least once in the 30 days before the survey, and 3,142 people were killed by distracted driving in 2020.
How Can Parents Help Their Teen Driver Stay Safe?
Luckily, there are several things parents can do to help keep their teens safe behind the wheel.
Set Car Rules
Make sure your teen understands that driving is a privilege, not a right. Set rules – such as limits to the number of passengers, putting their phone on “do not disturb” while driving, and not driving while intoxicated – and have your teen sign a contract promising to follow the rules. Take away their driving privileges if they break any of these rules.
Offer to Drive
Your teen should always feel safe calling you to come to pick them up after they have been drinking or doing drugs. Let them know they will be in much less trouble if they call you and ask for a ride home than they would be if they drive while under the influence or get in the car with a friend who is intoxicated.
Review the Dangers
Teenagers tend to feel invincible. Take the time to show them the very real dangers of driving while distracted, intoxicated, or unbuckled. Help them understand that you are worried about their safety.
Were You or Your Teen Injured in an Accident? Contact a Florida Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you or your teenage driver were injured in a car crash caused by somebody else, a Florida car accident lawyer may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve. Schedule a free consultation with iLawyerUp today. The experienced attorneys at our Aventura office know how to get insurance companies to pay the full amount they owe you, and you do not pay us unless we get you money.
