School’s out for the summer and while for many teens this shepherds in days at the beach and afternoons at the movies it also officially starts one of the most dangerous times of the year.
AAA has coined it “100 deadliest days,” a handful of months where 16 to 17-year-olds are three times as likely as adults to be involved in a deadly crash. After extensive studies, the automotive educational and research group found the period of time from Memorial Day weekend at the end of May through the Labor Day weekend in September is statistically the most dangerous of the year for young drivers.
As temperatures climb and summer adventures beckon an average of 260 teens are killed in accidents each month, according to AAA. That's a 26% spike compared to the other months of the year.
“During the school year kids are by themselves for the most part to and from school, but during the summer all of the kids like to hang out and go to the mall or the beach and you’ll have three or four kids in a vehicle,” Al Van Duyne, spokesman for Plant City Police Department said. “They’re having fun and goofing around and the driver will turn around to talk to them or look at something and next thing they know they’re in what could be a deadly accident.”
The number of passengers in the car greatly increases the risk as well, according to AAA. The risk of a teen driver being killed increases 44% with just one passenger younger than 21 years old, it doubles with two passengers under 21 and it quadruples with three or more young passengers. Conversely, if a passenger is 35 years old or older the risk reduces by 62%.
Not only is it a dangerous time for teens on the road, the young drivers also have the highest rates of crashes that result in the death of others, including pedestrians, other drivers and their own passengers.
AAA found that of all the distractions that lead to accidents for teens, having passengers was one of the largest issues, with 15% of all summer accidents being caused by friends in the vehicle. Another was the use of cell phones while driving, which was the factor behind 12% of the accidents.
It’s a dangerous time, but the answer is not to simply lock teens up for the summer and prohibit them from making memories they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives. Van Duyne said parents simply have to take a more hands on approach with their children and make sure there is an open line of communication.
“Parents teach their kids to drive when they have their permit, but once they get their license the lessons shouldn’t be over,” Van Duyne said. “It takes a village to raise a child. You should tell your friends and family what vehicle your kid drives and just ask them to keep an eye out for reckless behavior. Pull up a driving contract from idravesafely.com and go over it with your teen and be active in helping them understand that anything they get as adolescents is a privilege, it’s not a right if you don’t pay for it.”
Distractions play a role in nearly six out of 10 teen crashes, 60% of teen drivers killed in a crash were not wearing a seatbelt and speeding is a factor in nearly 30% of fatal crashes involving teen drivers, according to the AAA.
Van Duyne also warned parents about the increase in drunk driving among teens during summer months. It’s a common problem with the frequent summer parties and Van Duyne said parents need to make sure their child feels comfortable calling them if they become inebriated.
“Each parent has to do it in their own way that the kid will accept the information,” Van Duyne said. “Ultimately it’s much more desirable they call their parents and get an earful than us have to call their parents with bad news.”
Florida is where the world comes to play and with so many entertaining excursions spread across the state, it is crucial teens remember to adopt a cautious mindset when they and their friends get behind the wheel.
“This data is nationwide, it’s happening all over the country,” Van Duyne said. “It doesn’t matter how far you extend the number. If it’s your kid and there’s only one death that’s still too much.”