‘100 Deadliest Days’: Teen driving deaths spike during summer

JACKSON, Tenn. — Starting Memorial Day weekend and ending around Labor Day is a time referred to by traffic safety experts as “the 100 deadliest days,” because of a spike in teen traffic fatalities occurring during the summer.

“It’s been designated as the 100 most deadliest days for teen drivers. Triple A did a study and found that during these months, the teen deaths on our roads, they can increase three times more than average,” said Michelle Anderson with the National Road Safety Foundation.

There are many reasons why this spike may occur. The main reasons are lack of experience of the driver, and that teens are driving more since they aren’t in school.

“They are inexperienced, primarily. But yes, more of them are on the roads because they are out of school,” Anderson said. “They don’t have the experience to drive with other road users. So some of the decisions that they make while they’re behind the wheel are not always the right decisions.”

There is also a big issue with speeding when it comes to teens. In the summer months, there can be up to a 33% increase in teen driver deaths per day.

“An issue with speeding, and during those times of the year, because the weather is better, the days are longer, you are going to have more of that taking place,” Anderson said. “This is a very vital time of the year. On average, six teens die per day, but in the summer months that can increase to nine teens per day.”

Distracted driving is also a big factor when it comes to teens. Whether that be phone usage, loud music or lots of passengers, all of these can distract teens when driving.

Around 30% of fatal crashes involving teens happen during this period of the year.

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