According to FDOT, the days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are the most dangerous for teen drivers, with the majority fatal accidents involving young drivers taking place in this time period every year. In fact, these summer days are so dangerous, FDOT has dubbed them the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers.
Why Is Summer Most Dangerous for Teen Drivers?
In Weston, Miami, Hollywood, and all South Florida communities, teen drivers are most at risk in the summer for a few reasons:
- School’s out: With school out, teens can spend more time on the roads and since they don’t need to get up early for school and may be tempted to drive late, when there are more risk son the road. In addition, a teen’s friends may be out of school, too, which can mean more teen passengers. Studies have consistently shown that more teen passengers in a car raise a young driver’s risk of dangerous driving and collisions.
- Summer holidays can increase the risk of DUIs: Summer festivals, parties, and events can all increase the risk of underage drinking, and that heighten the chance of drinking and driving.
- Summer comes with its own hazards: Tourists unfamiliar with city streets may be driving around communities during the summer to take advantage of summer events and the heat and glare of the summer sun can also be a distraction.
How to Keep Your Teen Drivers Safer
If you are a parent with a young driver in your home, there are a few ways you can make summer driving safer for your child:
- Create rules and consequences: Make sure your teen is obeying Florida’s graduated licensing laws. In addition, you may want to impose your own rules, such as limiting the number of teen passengers your child has in their car or limiting night driving. If your teen breaks the rules, consider limiting their driving time or even suspending their driving privileges.
- Get additional driving instruction: Make sure your teen gets lots of driving practice in with an adult driver. If possible, you may want to get your teen defensive driving instruction from a professional driving instructor. Instilling good habits early can help your teen stay safer on the roads.
- Talk to your teen: Discuss driving with your teen often and listen to their concerns as well as the pressures they may be facing from friends or others.
- Have a DUI plan in place: Parents underestimate the prevalence of underage driving. Make sure your teen driver knows they can call you for a safe ride home at any time. Since teens may not be willing to admit they’ve been drinking, you might also want to ask a family member or friend to also act as a “safe” ride your teen can call in an emergency.
- Don’t text when they might be driving: It can be tempting for drivers to “quickly” check a message and that one decision can lead to tragedy.
Dealing with a Teen Car Accident
If your teen has been in a collision, your first priority is to get them medical help. However, you may also want to speak to an attorney to find out whether financial recovery is possible. Call Flaxman Law Group 866-352-9626 to speak to a live person 24/7 who can schedule a free, no obligation consultation with an attorney who can answer all your questions. Or contact us online or email accident attorney Charles Flaxman at cflaxman@flaxmanlaw.com.