COLUMBUS – New teenage drivers, already three times as likely as adults to be involved in a deadly crash, are entering the time of year considered to be the most dangerous to them.
The three-month period between Memorial Day and Labor Day has been dubbed the “100 Deadliest Days” because the number of fatal crashes involving teen drivers – those age 16 and 17 — is 15 percent higher than the rest of the year, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
“Statistics show that teen crashes spike during the summer months because teens are out of school and on the road. The foundation’s research found that inexperience paired with greater exposure on the road could create a deadly combination for teen drivers,” said executive director Dr. David Yang.
In 2016, approximately 8,300 injuries and fatalities resulted from teen driver crashes in Ohio, a 15 percent increase from 2014, said AAA Ohio spokeswoman Kimberly Schwind. That equals an average of 23 injuries or fatalities involving a teen driver every day.
The number of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes increased more than 10 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Yang says distractions – such as talking to other passengers in the vehicle and interacting with a smart phone — are a factor in nearly six out of 10 teen crashes. In 2015, the latest data available, 60 percent of teen drivers killed in crashes were not wearing a safety belt and speeding contributes to nearly 30 percent of fatal teen crashes.
Three-fourths of teen-involved crashes at night happen earlier than the midnight limit on teen driving in Ohio so the AAA is sponsoring a coalition aiming to update the state’s licensing system by lengthening the Temporary Instruction Permit phase from six to 12 months and ensuring newly licensed teens are driving only with adult protection after 9:00 p.m., Schwind said.
The auto club also recommends primary enforcement of bans on the use of cell phones and requirements for seat belts, which can only be enforced in Ohio if police pull the driver over for another traffic violation.