Why Summer is the Most Dangerous Time of Year for New Drivers

 Posted on August 15, 2018 in Car Accident

The 100-day span from Memorial Day to Labor Day is often known as the “100 Most Dangerous Days for Teen Drivers.” This is because statistically, this is the time of year when teenage drivers are most likely to be involved in car accidents and suffer injuries. In the summer, teen driver deaths are about 15% higher than they are during other times of the year.

There are a few reasons why teen car accidents spike during the summer months, and there are a few ways that you, as a parent of a teenage driver, can reduce your child's chance of being involved in one.

More Young Drivers are on the Road with More Young Passengers in Their Cars

Perhaps the most obvious reason why teen drivers are more likely to be involved in car accidents in the summer is that there are simply more teen drivers on the road in the summer.
With school out of session, more young drivers are on the road throughout the day.

Young drivers are also more likely to be driving with friends in the car on summer days. According to AAA, driving with a teenage passenger in the car increases a teenage driver's likelihood of dying in a car accident because peers in the car are a distraction.

Teens are Driving Late and Driving in Unfamiliar New Places

With school out of session, teen drivers also drive later at night and in unfamiliar new places during the summer. Teens facing reduced visibility and unfamiliar new terrain and traffic patterns can overreact, underreact, or react inappropriately to hazards in the roadway, increasing their chance of being causing accidents and making collisions worse.

Protect Your Teenage Driver from an Accident this Summer

There are many ways you can cut down your teen's chance of being involved in an accident this summer. The most important is to minimize distractions while he or she is driving. Have your teen download one of the numerous apps that disable a phone's notifications while its owner is driving or set his or her phone to Do Not Disturb mode while driving. Make sure you practice what you preach – do not just tell your teen not to use the phone while driving; model safe behavior by not using your phone while driving.

Before your teen drives to an unfamiliar place, go over the route with him or her and talk about what to do if he or she encounters certain hazards. Make sure your teen knows what to do if he or she is involved in an accident.

Work with an Experienced Libertyville Car Accident Attorney

You can not completely eliminate your child's chance of being involved in a car accident. If he or she is injured in a car accident caused by another party's negligence, you can pursue monetary compensation for your teen's related damages through a personal injury claim. To learn more about this process with an experienced car accident lawyer, contact our team at Newland & Newland, LLP today to set up your initial consultation in our office. We serve clients in the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas.

(image courtesy of Daniela Cuevas)