Parents and teen driver safety during the 100 deadliest days

Every year, there’s an uptick in auto accidents that involve teen drivers during the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Known as the “100 deadliest days,” it’s usually a good time for parents and teen drivers in Washington to sit down for a good talk about safe driving.

That teen drivers tend to be negligent or reckless is no secret, but parents will want to know what kinds of negligence are especially common. According to a recent Traffic Culture Safety Index from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 47% of teens speed in residential areas, 40% speed on freeways and 35% text behind the wheel. Thirty-two percent of survey respondents admitted to running red lights, and 31% said they often drive aggressively.

During the 100 deadliest days from 2008 to 2018, more than 8,300 people died in car crashes that involved teen drivers. AAA says that this amounts to over seven fatalities each day of summer. For every mile driven, teens have triple the risk of being in a deadly crash than do adults.

Besides talking with their teens, parents should establish a set of family rules that prohibit unsafe behaviors like distracted, drowsy and impaired driving. Better yet, they could schedule times where they supervise their teens’ driving. Parents must act safely, too, to set a good example.

Most car accidents are caused by negligence of one form or another, but fortunately, those who are injured through little or no fault of their own may seek compensation. Filing a claim against the responsible driver’s auto insurance company, they may be covered for their medical expenses, vehicle repair or replacement costs, pain and suffering and other losses. The process can be difficult, so it’s advisable that victims see a lawyer for a case evaluation first.