Memorial Day has come and gone, and this week marks the start of the “100 deadliest days for teen drivers.”
AAA reports an average of seven people will die, every day, in crashes involving teen drivers between now and Labor Day.
Last year in Florida, teenagers were involved in nearly 20,000 crashes during this time frame, resulting in 83 deaths.
For every mile driven, new teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash, compared to adults.
There are several common risk factors.
Distracted driving plays a role in nearly six out of 10 teen crashes.
Electronics like cellphones are the second biggest distraction. The biggest is actually other teen passengers.
Research shows having other teens in the car can contribute to peer pressure and dangerous driving habits like speeding and aggressive driving.
Speeding is a factor in nearly 30% of deadly crashes involving teens, and so is not wearing a seat belt. Wearing one can significantly reduce the risk of dying or being seriously hurt in a crash.
AAA encourages parents to lead by example by minimizing risky behavior when they drive.
Also, make sure your teen has at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving in a variety of conditions.
The company says to teach defensive driving skills and set rules, like when your teen can drive or who they can go with.
AAA offers an online driving course to help teach all of these skills.
Click here to learn more.