AAA of KANSAS
Across the country, 13,135 people have been killed in a crash involving a teen driver from 2019-2023. More than 30% of those deaths occurred during the ‘100 Deadliest Days’ between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to a AAA review of crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). On average, 8 people are killed per day in teen-involved driving crashes in the summer, compared to 7 per day during the rest of the year.
In 2023 alone, the most recent year of complete crash data, 2,897 people nationwide were killed in crashes involving a teen driver. A third of those deaths, 860, happened during the 100 Deadliest Days.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analysis of NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data of deadly crashes involving drivers ages 15-18 in Kansas shows the tragic impact in the summer months:
“Summer months are particularly dangerous as more young drivers hit the road during school breaks with many logging more unsupervised driving time than usual,” said Jake Nelson, Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research at AAA. “We encourage families to take advantage of AAA resources like our driver education classes and parent-teen safe driving agreements to help set clear expectations for driving privileges.”
There are steps teens and parents can take to save lives. Parents should model safe driving behavior and talk with their teens about buckling up, obeying speed limits, and putting phones away. With teens out of school, summer is also a great time for young drivers to complete a comprehensive driver education course to learn the rules of the road.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also has new research highlighting the life-saving potential of smartphone-blocking technology. Parents should encourage teens to use “do not disturb” features on their phones to silence distractions while driving.