Summer Deadliest Driving Time for Teens
Each year, the summer is the deadliest season for teen drivers. When Memorial Day arrives, it starts a period known as the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers, because when school is out and the weather is nice, car accidents are most common in this age group.
In 2012, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, approximately 1,000 people were killed in car accidents caused by teens. This data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Of the 1,000 people killed, 88 percent of the victims were teenagers.
The main cause of teen accidents is distracted driving. Data from distraction.gov shows that 10 percent of drivers under the age of 20 who were involved in a fatal accident were distracted when the accident occured.
A major issue with teens behind the wheel is that texting while driving is not the only cause of distractions. The National Safety Council released a study that says the risk of an accident increases by 44 percent when a teen has passengers in the vehicle with them.
Although the summer months are an exciting time for teenagers, they need to remain safe behind the wheel. In order to keep teen drivers, their passengers, and drivers or pedestrians around them safe, 43 states have instituted laws that prevent new teen drivers from driving with multiple passengers. For example, some states allow just one passenger in the vehicle for teen drivers anywhere from six months to one year after receiving their driver’s license.
Some phone companies have also developed apps for mobile phones that help prevent texting and driving. One such app, from AT&T, called DriveMode, turns the texting feature off when the vehicle reaches 25 MPH. If a text is sent to the phone, a response is generated automatically. Parents receive alerts from the app if their teens try to disable these features.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident due to inexperienced drivers, negligent drivers or distracted drivers, contact a Texas car accident attorney today.
