For teenagers across New Jersey, the onset of summer typically means more time and freedom to do what they please. For everyone else, though, it means more teen drivers will be making their way to the state’s streets and highways, and this can mean big trouble for the motoring public. At Lieberman, Ryan & Forrest, L.L.C., we understand that road fatalities stemming from incidents involving teen drivers spike sharply during the summer, and we have helped many people involved in, or who lost loved ones in, crashes involving teenagers pursue recourse.
According to AAA, teenage driver-involved fatal car wrecks spike 14% in the summertime when compared with the rest of the year. In fact, the dangers associated with driving between Memorial Day and Labor Day are so substantial that the time period has become known as summer’s “100 Deadliest Days.” If you have teen drivers living in your home, educating them about the dangers associated with driving, taking care to cover hazards associated with nighttime driving, distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving and so on, may help you reduce their chances of becoming a statistic.
Nighttime driving, for example, is problematic for many teenagers, and this is why many states have rules in place governing when, exactly, teen drivers can be out on the roads. During the 100 Deadliest Days of 2016, for example, about 36% of fatal crashes involving teen drivers took place between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Speeding, too, can enhance a teen driver’s crash risk. Nearly 30% of all road deaths resulting from crashes involving teen drivers during the 100 Deadliest Day span in 2016 involved speed. You can learn more about car wrecks on our webpage.