• 23
  • June
    2010

With the beginning of the summer driving season, and with teenagers out of school for the summer, the number of auto accidents in North Carolina typically experiences an upswing. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a dangerous time to be a teen driver as those summer months are the deadliest for drivers between the ages of 15 and 20.

The reasons for increases in accidents are many, but the biggest factors seems to be more opportunities to drive, especially at night and with friends; relaxed curfews with less parental supervision; and teens' general lack of experience and maturity when it comes to driving.

In North Carolina, the Highway Patrol has been conducting the "Operation Drive to Live" program aimed at educating young drivers and raising awareness of safe driving habits. In addition to those programs, it never hurts for parents to provide more guidance to their teens of or near driving age. The following are some safe driving tips provided by AAA that may help prevent some teen-related traffic accidents:

Understand the risks. Young drivers often get into trouble when they take foolish risks. A car crash can have deadly consequences for people other than the driver, including other drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and families. The risks taken are rarely worth the consequences.

Put away the cell phone. Texting and talking on the phone while driving is a problem not limited to teens, but it is still extremely dangerous -- and illegal for North Carolina drivers under age 18.
 
Wear seatbelts and avoid speeding. One-third of teen driving fatalities involve speeding, but wearing a seatbelt may reduce the odds of being injured or killed by 45%.

Limit the number of passengers. Having too many distracting passengers can greatly increase the odds of a crash by a teen driver.

Avoid night driving if possible. Teens tend to get involved in more accidents at night when roadway conditions are less obvious and visibility is reduced.

Don't drink and drive. Drinking and driving is always dangerous, but it can be even more deadly with inexperienced drivers and young people who easily drink more than they can handle.

Related Resources:

Teen driver risks in high gear over summer (USA Today)