Crashes involving teens spike considerably during summer months

Teenage drivers are more prone to dangerous driving behaviors than older motorists. In the summertime, when more teenagers take to the roads, your risk of involvement in a crash with a teen driver increases. The stretch of time between Labor Day and Memorial Day each year has become such a deadly time to be on the road that it has become known as summer’s “100 Deadliest Days.” 

Per AAA, more than 700 people lose their lives in crashes involving teenage drivers annually during the 100 Deadliest Days span. The number of daily fatalities stemming from crashes involving teenage motorists is also 17% higher during this period than it is during the rest of the year. What risks are teen drivers taking on the road that unnecessarily endanger you and everyone else they encounter? 

Drunk driving 

Drinking and driving among teenagers increases during the summer months. Research shows that alcohol is a factor in one out of every six fatal crashes involving teenage drivers. 

Speeding 

Speeding is also a common and dangerous behavior among teen drivers. Nearly half of today’s teenagers admit to speeding on residential streets within the last 30 days, while another 40% say they exceeded the highway speed limit within that same span. 

Distracted driving 

Teen drivers also admit to texting and sending emails while driving at alarming rates. More than half of driving teenagers say they have texted behind the wheel within the last 30 days, while almost 40% say they sent emails within that same window. According to one estimate, distracted driving is a factor in almost 60% of all teenage driver-involved car wrecks. More information is available on our webpage.