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The 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers

By Butler Prather LLP on June 20, 2022

The day a teenager rolls out of the driveway in a vehicle without their parent for the first time is always filled with emotions. For a teen, they will be undoubtedly excited. Their parents, however, will likely not share this enthusiasm. Parents worry about their kids, and rightly so. Teenagers do not have much driving experience, and the unfortunate reality is that teens and young adults are more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors.

Here, we want to discuss what is commonly dubbed the “100 Deadliest Days” for teenage drivers. This is the time frame, above any other time during the year, the parents need to reinforce good driving practices with their teenagers.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day – It’s Time to be Cautious

When we examine information available from the federal Department of Transportation (DOT), we can see that the time frame between Memorial Day and Labor Day has been dubbed the “100 Deadliest Days” for teenage drivers. This is the time frame when the most fatal teen crashes occur. Across the country, from 2010 to 2019, more than 7,000 individuals lost their lives in teen-related crashes during this 100-day period.

Why are These 100 Days Dangerous?

Teenage drivers are much more likely to be involved in car accidents than drivers in other age groups. The reality is that teenage drivers lack skills and driving experience, and they are simply more immature. Teen drivers tend to make irrational driving decisions such as speeding, racing, operating while impaired, operating while distracted, and more.

The DOT says that there were more than 950,000 crashes involving teenage drivers during a recent reporting year. These incidents led to more than 4,000 fatalities and nearly 360,000 injuries.

But these behaviors last all year long, right?

It is true that teenage drivers pose significant risks to themselves and others on the roadways regardless of the time of year. However, the time frame from Memorial Day to Labor Day is when there are more teenagers on the road. School is out for summer, and teens will be traveling longer distances, farther away from home, and have time to engage in behaviors that they otherwise may not engage in at other times during the year.

In the state of Georgia, there are plenty of teenage drivers heading to various areas around the state and across state lines. This includes our young drivers heading down to Florida or teenage drivers from out-of-state coming through Georgia to get to other destinations.

What Parents Can Do

Parents and guardians need to remain vigilant during this time of year. They must talk to their teenage driver about the rules and responsibilities involved with driving. Parents can pull up some of the statistics we mentioned here and show their teenagers. Remind them that driving takes their full attention. It is perfectly okay to remind your teenager that driving is a privilege and that you will take away their ability to operate a vehicle if they cannot do so safely.

Teenagers need consequences, even though they will put up a fight against losing their driving privileges. This is a matter of life and death. This not only includes the lives of others but the lives of your children. If you’re in need of legal representation or have any questions about a recent accident your teen was involved in, contact out car accident lawyers in Atlanta anytime.

Posted in: Car Accidents


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