Last year in Florida, teenage drivers were involved in almost 20,000 crashes within a 100-day stretch that is now ongoing again.
It's known as the "100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers." The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and AAA — The Auto Club Group are warning motorists to be extra cautious until it's over.
The period runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day Weekend and is marked by a higher number of fatal crashes involving teen drivers.
"The risk gets higher during the summer for teen drivers and everyone else they share the road with," AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said in a statement.
"Now that school is out, these young, inexperienced drivers will spend more time on the road with their friends."
Nearly half of the teen driver-related deaths per year happen during the "100 Deadliest Days," according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which found that nearly 6,700 people died in crashes during the period between 2013 and 2022.
In 2022 alone, 707 road travelers were killed in these types of crashes, a 10% increase over pre-pandemic 2019.
Of Florida's 20,000 teen-involved crashes last year, 68 were fatal, resulting in 83 deaths.
"The important thing to realize is the people killed in these crashes are not always the teen driver, but it can be their passengers or anyone else they encounter on the road," Jenkins said. "AAA shares this information to remind all drivers to stay alert while behind the wheel. We also encourage parents to have a serious discussion with their teen about the importance of being a safe driver."
Traffic crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens 16-19, AAA found. For every mile driven, new teen drivers (ages 16-17) are three times likelier to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults.
Distracted driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and driving with teen passengers who may pressure the driver to behave dangerously while on the road increase the risk of crashes, the organization said. The Florida Safe Driving Coalition also warns to avoid unnecessary nighttime driving and, of course, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Parents can reduce the chance their kids will be careless while behind the wheel by teaching defensive driving skills, spending at least 50 hours supervising their teen's driving practices, and establishing a parent-teen driving agreement setting clear boundaries for when a teen can drive and where, along with consequences and rewards for good and bad behavior.
Further, parents should lead by example by minimizing risk behaviors — aggressive driving, distracted driving and not wearing a seatbelt — when they drive, particularly while their teen is in the car with them.
"The single most important thing parents can do to help their teen become safe drivers is be involved in their 'learning to drive' process," AAA Director of Driver Education Programs Rachel Wilson said in a statement.
"Spend time coaching your teen while they're behind the wheel and have a serious discussion about safety. While parents can be great teachers, it also helps to seek out professional training courses, like those provided by AAA."
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