Teen crash fatalities rise during ‘100 Deadliest Days of Summer’

The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer – which spans from Memorial Day to the start of September – marks the time of year when teen crash fatalities rise almost 26 percent from the regular monthly average.

New teen drivers, ages 16 and 17, are three times more likely than adults to get into a fatal crash, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Another study by the foundation states that teen drivers are almost four times as a likely as drivers 18 and older to be involved in a crash.

According to preliminary unofficial state data, teen drivers age 15 to 19 have been involved in 490 crashes in Kansas since the start of the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer. Those crashes resulted in three deaths and 145 injuries.

Candace Lightner, founder of We Save Lives Highway Safety Advocates and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said summertime means teens are on the road for leisure instead of traveling to school or work.

“Summer is a time to have fun and historically, (teens) always had higher crash rates than the other age groups. So, the fact that their driving more only exacerbates that problem,” Lightner said.

We Save Lives is a national advocacy group that encourages education and awareness of drunk, drugged and distracted driving. Lightner said these “three D’s” significantly impact youth when they’re behind the wheel.

“Teens have the belief that they’re immortal. I know, I was a teen once,” she said. “So, they continue to make dangerous driving choices that are also deadly.”

Lightner said she thinks the way to combat this problem is through education and the courage to intervene.

“Parents really need to provide every way possible to education their teen about driving and the responsibility of driving,” she said. “And parents need to set a good example. Teens see their parents drive distracted all the time. What kind of example is that?”

Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Chad Crittenden shared Lightner’s concern of setting a good example.

“Parents can preach all they want, but if they aren’t doing it themselves, it’s hard to get the teenagers to listen,” Crittenden said.

Teens or anyone getting into a car with a teen behind the wheel should speak up if the driver uses their phone or chooses to drive impaired, Lightner said.

“We need to intervene,” she said.

“And teens, themselves, need to focus on their driving. You’re driving a two-ton weapon,” she said. “Make sure you focus on your driving, because other people may not be.”

For more information about the 100 Deadliest Day of Summer or We Save Lives programs, visit wesavelives.org.

This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Teen crash fatalities rise during ‘100 Deadliest Days of Summer’."