May 30—WILKES-BARRE — Jana Tidwell, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic, this week said summer months are particularly dangerous as more young drivers hit the road during school breaks with many logging more unsupervised driving time than usual.
“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,” Tidwell said.
According to AAA, across the country, 13,135 people have been killed in a crash involving a teen driver between 2019 and 2023.
More than 30% of those deaths occurred during the “100 deadliest days” between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to a AAA review of crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
On average, eight people are killed per day in teen-involved driving crashes in the summer, compared to seven per day during the rest of the year.
In 2023, the most recent year of complete crash data, 2,897 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver. A third of those deaths — 860 — happened during the 100 Deadliest Days.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analysis of NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data of deadly crashes involving drivers ages 15-18 in Pennsylvania shows the tragic impact in the summer months:
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety 2023 Traffic Safety Culture Index, teen drivers ages 16-18 admitted to having engaged in at least one of the following risky behaviors in the past 30 days:
—Holding and talking on a cell phone (42%)
—Reading a text or an email on a cell phone (46%)
—Sending a text or email (33%)
—Using hands-free technology (Bluetooth, CarPlay) (60%)
—Driving 10 mph over the speed limit on a residential street (49%)
—Driving 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway (41%)
—Red-light running (30%)
—Aggressive driving (28%)
—Drowsy driving (20%)
—Driving without a seatbelt (17%)
—Drinking enough alcohol to be over the adult legal limit (7%)
—Riding in a car driven by someone who has had too much alcohol (10%)
—Driving within an hour of having used marijuana (10%)
AAA says there are steps teens and parents can take to save lives. Parents should model safe driving behavior and talk with their teens about buckling up, obeying speed limits and putting phones away.
With teens out of school, summer is also a great time for young drivers to complete a comprehensive driver education course to learn the rules of the road.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also has new research highlighting the life-saving potential of smartphone-blocking technology. Parents should encourage teens to use “do not disturb” features on their phones to silence distractions while driving.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.