The 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Driving

Memorial Day has passed and this week marks the start of “The 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers.”

AAA reports that an average of seven people will die each day in crashes involving teen drivers between now and Labor Day.

Last year in Florida, teens were involved in nearly 20,000 crashes during that time, resulting in 83 deaths.

For every mile driven, new teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than adults.

There are several common risk factors.

Distracted driving plays a role in nearly six out of ten teen accidents.

Electronic devices like cell phones are the second biggest distraction. The biggest one is actually the other teenage passengers.

Research shows that having other teens in the car can contribute to peer pressure and dangerous driving habits like speeding and aggressive driving.

Speed ​​is a factor in nearly 30% of fatal crashes involving teens, as is not wearing a seat belt. Wearing one can significantly reduce the risk of dying or being seriously injured in an accident.

AAA encourages parents to lead by example by minimizing risky behaviors while driving.

Also make sure your teen has at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice in a variety of conditions.

The company recommends teaching defensive driving skills and establishing rules, such as 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 find out more.