Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer for teens in New York, and these teens will be hitting the road and, yes, getting into car crashes. In fact, AAA calls the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers.
Teen car crashes in the summer
Teen car crashes are especially prevalent in the summer and many of them are fatal. In the summers spanning from 2012 to 2021, over 6,500 individuals lost their lives in car crashes involving teen drivers. During the summer months of this 10-year period in New York State, 185 individuals lost their lives in car crashes involving teen drivers.
Talk to your teen about summer driving
Teens are eager to get behind the wheel in the summer, but since teens are inexperienced drivers might not understand the inherent dangers that come with driving an automobile, they are at risk of being involved in a car crash.
To help decrease the chance your teen will be another summertime car crash statistic, it is important to talk to your teen about safe driving practices. Some topics you might want to discuss with your teen include:
- Drunk driving
- Drowsy driving
- Texting and driving
- Aggressive driving
- Speeding
Sometimes a simple conversation with a trusted adult can give teens the knowledge and motivation to ensure they are responsible drivers.
No one wants to see a teen cause a fatal crash or be in a crash caused by a teen driver. Frequent discussions between parents and teens on safe driving practices can be key.