The combination of closed schools, canceled activities and COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, could prove deadly as teens take to the road this summer.
Nationwide, more than 30% of deaths involving teen drivers occur during the “100 Deadliest Days,” a period that runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, according to AAA – The Auto Group, in a news release.
Due to their inexperience, teen drivers are at a higher risk of crashes. According to the new AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index, about 72% of teen drivers, ages 16 to 18, admitted to engaging in at least one of these risky behaviors in the past 30 days:
- Driving 10 mph over the speed limit on a resident street (47%)
- Driving 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway (40%)
- Texting (35%)
- Red light running (32%)
- Aggressive driving (31%)
- Drowsy driving (25%)
- Driving without a seatbelt (17%)
To keep roads safer this summer, AAA encourages parents to:
- Talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior while behind the wheel.
- Teach by example to help minimize risky behavior.
- Set up a parent-teen driving agreement with family rules.
- Supervise at least 50 hours of practice driving with the teen.
To support parents to conduct practice driving sessions, AAA is providing a free four-page guide to help parents coach their teens. The guide, “Coaching Your New Driver – An In-Car Guide for Parents,” can be found online at TeenDriving.AAA.com/FL/.
The auto group website also offers other resources, including how to set driving parameters with the AAA Mobile app.
Published June 17, 2020
