As the school year ends and summer vacation begins, the risk of teenage car accidents rises exponentially.
Known as the the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends sees nearly half of all teen driver-related deaths for the year, according to the .
"You have young, inexperienced teenage drivers who are now out of school,鈥� said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA 鈥� The Auto Club Group. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e spending more time out on the roads, and oftentimes, are driving with fellow teenagers in the vehicle with them, which is a severe distraction for teenage drivers.鈥�
In 2023, Florida teens were involved in , including 68 fatal accidents.
But, it鈥檚 not just teen drivers who are at risk.
鈥淭he important thing to realize is the people killed in these crashes are not always the teen driver, but it can be their passengers or anyone else they encounter on the road,鈥� said Jenkins. 鈥淭he risk is high for everyone."
One risk factor stands out as the most dangerous.
鈥淐ell phone use and infotainment systems, they鈥檙e considered the second biggest distraction to teen drivers,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淭he biggest distraction: other teens.鈥�
Jenkins elaborated: when other teens are in the car with a young, inexperienced driver, there鈥檚 a higher likelihood of dangerous driving.
Parents of teens play a vital part in teaching young drivers how important safe driving is.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 extremely important right now for parents to get involved in their teen鈥檚 educational process for driving,鈥� Jenkins said.
"That means not texting and driving, driving impaired, putting on your makeup while you're driving, things like that," he added. "Your teen or your child watches you and they learn from the type of habits that you employ while you're behind the wheel. And chances are, they're going to emulate that whenever they're driving."
By advising teens early, parents and educators can help prevent teen-related car accidents and set positive behavior moving forward.
As for others on the road, the key for safety is to be prepared.
鈥淏e vigilant and stay alert when you鈥檙e behind the wheel,鈥� Jenkins said.
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