Here’s why we should all fear teens on the road this summer
High school and college kids across the country are either already out of school, or will be in a matter of weeks, which means more teens will be on the road than ever before, which, according to data, can be very dangerous.
The AAA reveals that summer can be the deadliest time on the road, and teens are particularly to blame. In fact, in 2016, during what’s called the 100 Deadliest Days, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, more than 1,050 people were killed in crashes involving teens. Just how high is that number? Well, that translates to about 10 people a day, or an increase of 14% compared to the rest of the year.
Speed and driving at night are the two biggest factors when it comes to teen accidents during the summer months. Overall, 36% of all motor vehicle fatalities involving a teen driver occurred between 9 pm and 5 am, with teen drivers responsible for 10% of all nighttime crash fatalities. What’s more, as compared to the rest of the year, those 100 Deadliest Days saw a 22% increase in average number of nighttime crashes involving teen drivers.
As for speed, 10% of all speed-related fatalities involved a teen driver, while 29% of all motor vehicle deaths involving a teen driver were speed-related.
Source: AAA