TRANSPORTATION MATTERS for IOWA

Message Monday - May 30, 2016 - 100 deadliest days begin today for teen drivers


5-30 message mondayDid you know nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel? This startling fact comes from a report released last year by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Noted in the report, in 2013 alone, 371,645 people were injured and 2,927 were killed in crashes that involved a teen driver. The majority of those killed or injured were people other than the teen driver who caused the crash.

A different AAA study found that when teen drivers have teen passengers in the vehicle, crash rates go up significantly. The study found that the risk increased by an estimated 44 percent when one passenger under age 21 (and no older passengers) was present in the teen driver’s vehicle, approximately double when two passengers under age 21 were present, and more than quadruple when three or more passengers under age 21 were present.

The results of these studies highlight the need to focus on teen drivers as today is the first of the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers. Data shows the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day are when teen crash fatalities historically climb.

100 dealiest days

What can you do to reduce the number of teen crashes and fatalities?

  • Make sure your teen has had enough supervised driving time before sending them out on their own.
  • Encourage safe, positive behaviors behind the wheel and model these behaviors in your own driving:
    • Buckle up – every seat, every time
    • Drive sober
    • Slow down
    • Focus on the road
    • Stay alert

The fatality count of 139 is an increase of 14 from last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to http://bit.ly/1QFbcyj.

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