CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Memorial Day is important for a number of reasons, including one that many often forget about — the next 99 days are considered the deadliest days for teen drivers, according to AAA.
Nearly 6,700 people were killed in a crash involving a teen driver between Memorial Day and Labor Day from 2013 to 2022, AAA says. In 2022 alone, 707 people were killed in these types of crashes – a 10% increase over pre-pandemic 2019.
Traffic safety managers with AAA attribute the deaths to more joy rides during the warmer months and fewer drives with a focused destination. There's also the reality that more teens are in the car and there's more nighttime driving.
Despite teens often going to driving school, many experts find they revert to bad habits. Those include not signaling, not making complete stops, not checking blind spots and not keeping a safe distance from other vehicles.
"Parents of teen drivers just need to sit down and have these conversations with these kids," Master Trooper Chris Casey with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said. "Wearing their seatbelts. Obeying the speed limits, impaired driving ... how it can affect their life."
In April, Charlotte Catholic High School held a prayer vigil after Sophia Gordon, a 16-year-old from Myers Park High School, was killed in a crash and two Charlotte Catholic students were seriously hurt.
Troopers say the 18-year-old driver was going too fast, lost control, and hit a tree. An issue not uncommon among deadly crashes involving teens, AAA says. In addition to speed, distracted driving and traveling with passengers also often play a role in teen crashes.
“Kids shouldn’t be losing their lives this young on the road. It’s a scary and rough situation," Izabel Elder, a Charlotte Catholic student, said. "It’s just hard, especially when it happens to people from the school that you go to.”
It’s important for parents to take part in their teens’ driving training. The more practice, the better.
Here are some tips:
- Use opportunities like driving to the store, post office, or running errands, to give their teens more time behind the wheel
- Make sure distractions are as limited as possible, especially cell phones
- Keep a three to four-second distance between you and the car in front you
- Be aware of everything around you, but also in the distance. Traffic accidents further ahead cause sudden stops in approaching traffic. They also lead to other cars finding themselves in accidents
While the summer months are meant for relaxation and enjoyment, these small, but important, safety tips can keep your teens safe and alive.
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