The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer are upon us. It's the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day known as the most dangerous of time of the year for teen drivers. New data shared by the American Automobile Association (AAA) includes 2023 crash data, the most recent year of complete crash data. Last year, Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia had the highest number of teen drives killed in crashes during the summer months.
Here's what the other numbers show:
- Nationwide, 13,135 people have been killed in a crash involving a teen driver between 2019-2023.
- Over 30% of those deaths occurred between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to an AAA review of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash data.
- On average, 8 people are killed per day in teen-involved driving crashes in the summer, compared to 7 per day during the rest of the year.
- In 2023 alone, 2,897 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver. A third of those deaths, 860, happened during the 100 Deadliest Days.
“Summer months are particularly dangerous as more young drivers hit the road during school breaks with many logging more unsupervised driving time than usual,” said Jake Nelson, Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research at AAA. “We encourage families to take advantage of AAA resources like our driver education classes and parent-teen safe driving agreements to help set clear expectations for driving privileges
Speeding, distraction and not wearing a seatbelt are major factors involved in teen crash deaths:
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Speeding: Recent National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) data shows that in 2023, speeding was a factor in 34% of the passenger vehicle teen drivers (15-18 years old) involved in fatal crashes.
- Not Buckling Up: According to NHTSA data , 53% of teen passenger vehicle drivers who died in 2023 weren't wearing their seatbelt. Don't miss the heartbreaking story of 16-year-old Kailee Mills here.
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Distraction: According to the National Road Safety Foundation, distracted driving accounts for 60% of teen crashes. Distraction includes but is not limited to multiple passengers, phones, and eating/drinking.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently shared new research highlighting the life-saving potential of smartphone-blocking technology. AAA says parents should encourage teens to use “do not disturb” features on their phones to silence distractions while driving. Find other AAA teen driver safety tools here.
AAA also suggests that parents model safe driving behavior as well as talk with their teens about buckling up, obeying speed limits, and putting phones away. Of course, a comprehensive driver education course is a must to learning the rules of the road.
National Road Safety Foundation Campaign
The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) is also doing its part to raise awareness. It's teaming up with about two dozen other traffic safety advocacy groups including Impact Teen Drivers, SADD and We Save Lives to make summer "The 100 Safest Days." The media and social media campaign is designed to call attention to a range of safe driving issues from distracted and drowsy driving, impaired driving, speeding and seat belt usage, along with an effort to empower passengers to speak up when in a vehicle that's being driven dangerously.
"Summer should be a time filled with fun with family and friends, and not a time marred by tragedy," said Michelle Anderson, director of operations at the National Road Safety Foundation. "By changing the culture and activating parents to be more involved, we hope to make summertime 'the 100 Safest Days,' not only for teens on the road, but for all drivers, passengers and other road users such as bicyclists and scooters."
The NRSF campaign website is www.100safestdaysofsummer.
Other Teen Driver Resources
- The National Road Safety Foundation offers Passport to Safe Driving materials.
- Honda Safety Driven is a national safety program and education initiative designed to equip students with safe driving skills.
Teen Driver Contract
Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds also recommends having teen drivers sign a Teen Driver Contract.
