JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Memorial Day for some is considered the kick-off to summer, but for AAA and the Florida Department of Transportation, it’s the start of the “100 Deadly Days” of summer.
Summer is a time when teens are out of school and ready to hit the open road. However, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, AAA studies have shown that there is an increase in fatal crashes involving teenagers.
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New teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults. Last year, nearly 20,000 crashes involved teenagers, resulting in 63 fatalities, primarily due to distracted driving.
Distractions that contribute to these incidents often include having too many friends in the car, loud music, and texting while driving.
“When you have a crowd in your car, the driver needs to stay and pay attention,” said FDOT spokesman Hampton Ray. “They say if you add an adult to a vehicle with an underage driver, then that increases safety.”
Ray emphasized a new approach this year to protect teens on the road.
“It’s a direct appeal to other teen drivers, making sure that they know from their own voice and own perspective that when they go and get on the road, they are making safe decisions, turning the music down, never driving drunk and never driving impaired with other substances,” Ray said.
FDOT urges everyone to remember to put their phones down, pay attention, and always wear seat belts.
