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The 100 deadliest days of summer

| Jun 14, 2020 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Summer can be fun, relaxing and enjoyable. Most of us think about Fourth of July parades, fireworks, days at the beach, taking the boat out on the water or going on exciting road trips.

However, summer can also be deadly. This is especially true for teens. In fact, the recent Memorial Day weekend kicked off the 100 Deadliest Days of summer.

Over roughly three months, the fatal crash accident rate for teens jumps by about 26%. Around 260 teens lose their lives each month, or nearly 800 over the course of the summer alone. Teens already get into car accidents with much greater frequency than older drivers, but the deadly uptick in summer really heightens the danger they face.

Why does this happen? Having more free time is a lot of it. Teens are typically in school and, while they may drive to school and back, they spend most of the day off the roads. Not so in the summer. They are exposed to greater risks just by virtue of having the time to drive more.

There are also risks associated with typical teenage summer fun. The road trips mentioned above mean they cover more miles on unfamiliar roads. The same is true for trips to the beach. A Fourth of July party may include underage drinking, increasing the chances of a DUI accident. The list of risks goes on and on, and the statistics prove how dangerous it is.

If you get involved in an accident with a teen driver this summer, or if your child gets injured in an accident another driver causes, make sure you know exactly what legal rights you have.