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Road safety for teens a priority during 100 deadliest days

| Jul 2, 2020 | Personal Injury

Teens are usually not the safest drivers around Connecticut, and when summer hits, things can get especially bad with them on the road. Safety experts call the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day the “100 deadliest days” because the number of fatalities from teen driving crashes tends to go up then. More than 8,300 such fatalities were reported between 2008 and 2018, which comes to over seven deaths for each day of summer.

AAA found out how teens tend to be unsafe on the road. In a Traffic Safety Culture Index, for example, 72% of respondents from the ages of 16 to 18 said they acted unsafe behind the wheel in the 30 days prior to the survey. Forty-seven percent admitted to speeding in a residential area, 40% to speeding on a highway and 35% to texting. Other forms of negligence included running red lights (32%) and aggressive driving (31%).

Before the 100 deadliest days, teens must be taught about the dangers they face. Parents should talk to their teens about this and even set up a parent-teen driving agreement that lays down rules for safety. Parents could also be in the same vehicle with their teen as he or she drives and then provide coaching where necessary. AAA advises at least 50 hours of practice driving sessions.

When auto accidents occur because a teen or adult drove while drowsy, distracted, drunk or negligent in some other way, those who were harmed and who are found to be 51% or less at fault may be eligible for compensation in this state. It can sometimes pay to have a lawyer assess the case, though. Victims may even want to hire the lawyer for assistance with each step of the claims process, including the settlement negotiations.

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