The 100 Deadliest Days: Memorial Day Through Labor Day
One sobering summertime statistic is the number of teenagers who die in car accidents. The 100-day period beginning with Memorial Day and ending with Labor Day is infamous for the high number of crash fatalities compared to other times of the year. This rise may be the result of an increase of teenager traffic on the roadway or dangerous driver distraction. Keeping your teens safe during next season’s spike can depend on your awareness of their driving behaviors.
Reasons the 100-Day Period is Deadly for Teens
Traffic and crash analysts attribute the annual spike in teen fatalities to the fact that teenagers drive more often once school gets out, often to new locations they have never driven before. Events such as prom, Senior Skip Day, parties, and trips with friends put more teenage drivers on the road than any other time of year. Late night cruising and even driving under the influence create highly dangerous roadway conditions for teenagers and other drivers.
Driving unbuckled, fiddling with the radio, speeding, riding with rowdy riders, dangerous overconfidence, and smart phones, all put our teenagers at great risk. Many place the blame with the number of teenagers who drive with groups of friends in the vehicle during the summer. Driver distraction increases with a large number of passengers talking, eating, laughing, and moving near the driver.
While texting and driving presents a significant hazard for teenage drivers, having their friends in the vehicle is exponentially more distracting. Texting and driving is limited to the few seconds the teen has his or her eyes off the road. Having distracting friends in the vehicle lasts as long as the drive. Your teen will most likely not take steps to prevent their friends from being a distraction, leading to dangerous conditions.
Many teenage drivers try to show off and impress their friends by speeding, weaving through traffic, or performing dangerous maneuvers. Other teens race their friends or do doughnuts and tricks in parking lots. Mixing an inexperienced driver with high-velocity, reckless driving is a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, many of the teenagers involved in these accidents don’t survive to tell the tale.
What Parents Can Do
If you have a teenage driver for this year’s 100 Deadliest Days, take steps to prevent a fatal accident. Set a good example as a driver by putting your phone away, even at red lights. Show by example – buckle up, stay focused on the road, and avoid fiddling with any technology, either on the dash or in your hand. Giving in to peer pressure is easy as a teenager. Consider enforcing a no-passenger rule or stick to one person at a time, at least for the first year of driving.
Talk to other parents about the rules you’ve placed on your teen’s driving privileges so they may do the same with their teenagers. If your teen and his or her friends are on the same page, you decrease the chance of a risky driving condition. Give your teens the knowledge you’ve gained about the 100 Deadliest Days to ensure they’re aware of the great risk they take every time they drive. With enough awareness, this year’s 100-day period beginning on Memorial Day may not claim as many lives.
Get Help for Your Teenager’s Car Accident
At Liljegren Law Group, we sincerely hope we don’t see you due to a car accident involving your teenager. Unfortunately, as we approach the 100 Deadliest Days this year, accidents are bound to occur. If your teenager is involved in an accident this summer, let us help you. If another driver’s negligence caused the accident, you have options. Contact us for a free case evaluation with one of our expert car accident lawyers.