Go Ask Mom

It's the deadliest time of year for teen drivers; 3 ways to keep them safe on the road

The next couple of months are dangerous ones for teen drivers.

Posted Updated

By
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
, Go Ask Mom editor

The next couple of months are dangerous ones for teen drivers.

According to AAA, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day are the 100 deadliest days for young drivers. Crashes that involve teen drivers kill 10 people a day during the summer months - a 14 percent increase compared to the rest of the year, according to the group. Speed and nighttime driving play big roles in the number of crashes and fatalities, the report says.

Some numbers to consider, according to the AAA:

  • 36 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities involving teen drivers happened between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
  • 1 in 10 of all motor vehicle nighttime crash fatalities involved a teen driver.
  • 29 percent of all motor vehicle deaths involving a teen driver were speed related

“Not only are risks, like nighttime driving, a particular danger to young drivers, nearly every state also has a law restricting how late teens may be out on the roads,” said Richard Romer, AAA Manager of State Relations, in a press release. “This is a timely reminder for parents to be actively involved in their teen’s learning-to-drive process, understanding the risks and to be educated on their state’s teen driving law.”

North Carolina's laws on teen driving, including hours when they can be behind the wheel, are listed on the N.C. Department of Transportation's website.
To get some tips for parents who might be nervous about the safety of their teen drivers this summer, I checked in with Matt Thompson, the marketing and public relations manager for the nonprofit Safety and Health Council of North Carolina, the state chapter for the National Safety Council. Thompson is a former high school teacher and longtime driver safety instructor.

"Every day of the year is a dangerous time for young drivers," Thompson said. "But summer time is particularly dangerous. Young drivers are the most vulnerable group of drivers on the road because they are the most inexperienced."

To make matters worse, road conditions aren't the same as they were when today's teens' parents were learning to drive.

"This generation of drivers is going into the most complex driving environment ever," Thompson said. "They are faced with things that their mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers never had to face, which is all of the distraction."

We have smartphones, which can take anybody's attention off of the road in front of them. The number of aggressive drivers is on the rise, he said. In April, in fact, North Carolina was ranked No. 5 on a list of the top states with the most aggressive drivers, according to smartphone app GasBuddy.

"There are the regular things that we all face when we drive," Thompson said. "But when you compound that with the distractions they have with their own phones, they have their cars talking to them, drivers driving aggressively, peer pressure, they are entering into an environment that is very dangerous."

So what can parents do? Thompson has some advice.

Set boundaries

Parents, he said, must make their expectations clear about where a teen can go and when they must be home. And if a teen swerves way outside the line, then parents better follow through with some stiff consequences, he said.

"Who is the son or daughter going to be with? Where are they supposed to be going?" said Thompson. "These are very important to know."

Encourage being responsible passengers.

"To help young people, they have to be responsible passengers as well as drivers," he said.

Hammer home the point that they should never get in a car with anybody who has been drinking alcohol or taking drugs. If they need to get out of a tricky situation, consider falling back on something like an X-plan, which helps them save face as they look for an alternative way home.

Remind them of the rules of the road

"They are going to moan, groan and grimace," Thompson said. "But so what?"

Thompson recommends regularly reminding them of these basic driving tips:

  • Always scan the road and keep your eyes on the road
  • Check your mirrors every three to five seconds
  • Always have a "what if" strategy. What if that car, which is signaling its plan to turn, doesn't turn? What if the truck doesn't stop at the stop sign? "Think ahead," he said.
  • Follow the three-second rule. Keep three seconds behind the car in front of you. This can prevent one of the most common crashes for young people - the rear-end collision.
  • Put your phone away while driving.
  • Don't speed.

"Parents sometimes lose sight of the fact that they have the most leverage with young people," Thompson said. "Studies show that parents are the ones that young people pay the most attention to."

He added: "Keep reminding them. Never assume that everything will be OK. Give the reminders to young people. And don't stop reminding them, even if they don't like it ... This is literally life and death for young people. It really is."

If you think your teen driver needs a refresher course or some help, the Safety Council has programs. Check out its website or call Thompson at 919-719-9818.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.