Teen-involved car crashes spike during “100 deadliest days”

 Posted on June 13, 2018 in Firm News

Anytime you take to the Illinois roadway, you assume a certain amount of risk, but statistics show that those risks grow considerably during what is known as the “100 deadliest days.” The term, per the AAA NewsRoom, refers to the period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when teen drivers are out of school and out on the roads. This marks a highly dangerous time not only for teens, but for all motorists.

Just what is it about this time period that makes it so deadly?

Factors contributing to summer’s 100 deadliest days

Teen drivers, through little fault of their own, are inexperienced motorists, meaning they are ill-prepared when it comes to knowing how to react to unexpected circumstances or otherwise avoid potential accidents. Teens are also often more likely than older motorists to engage in certain dangerous driving behaviors, such as speeding and running red lights. Teens also face dangers relating to distracted driving, and they frequently find themselves losing focus because of other passengers, cellphones and in-dash navigation systems, among other distractions.

Additional contributors

Two years ago, in 2016, more than 1,050 people lost their lives in accidents involving teenage drivers during that year’s 100 deadliest days period, marking a 14 percent increase in the number of fatal teen-involved crashes that occurred the year before. While the daytime hours during the 100 deadliest days period are dangerous, the nighttime hours prove even more so. The number of nighttime car crashes involving teens rise 22 percent during summer’s deadliest days, and 36 percent of all teen-involved fatal crashes that occur within this time period happen between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

If you have teenage drivers living in your home, you can help do your part to improve road safety by educating them about summer’s deadliest days and the associated dangers. However, there is only so much you can do when other motorists behave negligently on shared roadways.