Expert Tips to Keep Teen Drivers Safe During 100 Deadliest Days
The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is an especially dangerous time on the road for teen drivers.
VOORHEES, N.J. – Summer is unofficially here and that marks the return of the 100 Deadliest Days, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The 100 Deadliest Days is an especially dangerous time on the road for teen drivers.
From 2012 to 2021, more than 30 percent of all fatal crashes involving teen drivers occurred during the 100 Deadliest Days. Nationwide, 7,316 people were killed in summertime crashes involving teen drivers during that 10-year span.
In 2021 alone, 900 people were killed in these types of crashes, up from 851 the previous year – a 6 percent increase. It is also a 25 percent increase over pre-pandemic 2019.
In New Jersey, 85 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers between Memorial Day and Labor Day during that 10-year span. That’s an average of nearly nine people per year.
New Jersey had the fourth-fewest deaths per capita – deaths in teen driver crashes per 1 million populations – at 3.8 deaths in 2021. While this is encouraging, even one death is too many.
That’s why AAA South Jersey, in partnership with the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety and New Jersey State Police, want to remind all drivers to remain vigilant on the road this summer.
"Over the past couple of years, motor vehicle crashes, including fatal crashes, have been on the increase. In 2022, there were 694 deaths in New Jersey as a result of these vehicle crashes," New Jersey State Police Lt. Kevin Bartels said. "Out of those 694 deaths, there are 694 victims. However, how many other victims are there, including family members and friends, who are mourning those individuals? How about that family member who can't sleep at night because they were in the car when that crash occurred?”
This isn’t just a teen problem. Parents play a big role in teen driver safety, whether they realize it or not. Children, even from a young age, are learning from their parents’ driving habits. It is crucial we exhibit good driving behavior at all times. AAA reminds parents and teens to:
- Always buckle up
- Refrain from driving impaired
- Put your phone away and focus on the task of driving
- Follow posted speed limits
These common sense habits can be the difference between life and death in a crash, according to Mike Rizol, director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
"Enforcing the seatbelt laws is a priority in New Jersey. In 2022, the police in New Jersey issued over 53,000 seatbelt summonses. Despite that, 50 percent of the vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes last year were not buckled up. Though seatbelt usage did not play a part in all of those fatalities, in many it did. New Jersey's seatbelt usage rate currently stands at nearly 93 percent. This is above the national average, but it is not high enough. Our goal is 100 percent.”
AAA research shows, per miles driven, teen drivers are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be killed in a crash.
Teen drivers’ risk of a crash multiplies when they have other teens in the passenger seat, research shows. Many may think of cellphone use when they hear the term distracted driving, but passengers can be an equally large distraction.
As temperatures increase in New Jersey, so does the volume on our roadways. With the added traffic, particularly around the city and down the shore, it is paramount for South Jersey drivers of all ages to be aware of the dangers and follow these tips.