VIRGINIA BEACH — Each year, AAA designates the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day as the “100 Deadliest Days” of the summer for teen drivers.
AAA adds that post-pandemic, there will be many new teen drivers on the road who have never driven in the type of congestion that is common during the summer months.
“With school letting out for the summer soon leading to more teen drivers on the road — it is more important now than ever to be mindful of how motorists drive,” said Holly Dalby, AAA Tidewater director of public affairs. “Parents should ensure that their children are ready and confident to be out on the roads this summer — and the rest of the year.”
To keep teens safe during these dangerous months and year-round, AAA offers the following tips for parents:
- Eliminate trips without purpose. Limit teens’ driving to essential trips and only with parental permission for at least the first year of driving. Teens have three times as many fatal crashes as other drivers, based on the number of miles driven. The risk is even higher during the first year of solo driving.
- Limit passengers. Crash rates increase with each additional teen passenger in the vehicle. In fact, fatal crash rates for 16- to 19-year-olds increase fivefold when two or more teen passengers are present versus when teens drive alone. Parents should establish passenger limits for their teen drivers. In Virginia, only one teen passenger under the age of 21 (not including family members) is allowed during the first year of solo driving.
- Restrict night driving. A teen driver’s risk of being involved in a deadly crash doubles at night. Many parents limit driving during the highest-risk late night hours (between midnight and 5 a.m.) but may want to consider limiting evening driving as well, as more than half of nighttime crashes occur between 9 p.m. and midnight.
- Teach your teens how to drive. Summer offers the perfect opportunity for teens to practice driving and to gain experience through parent-supervised driving practice. Parents can share their wisdom and experience accumulated over many years of driving. Even after a teen has a license that allows solo driving, parents and teens should continue to practice ‘commentary driving’ to help teens manage increasingly more complex and challenging driving conditions.
- Establish a parent-teen driving agreement. Written agreements help set and enforce clear rules about night driving, passengers, access to the car, and more. AAA offers a parent-teen driving agreement on its teen driver safety website AAA.com/TeenDriving. The website also provides a variety of additional tools and resources for parents and teens as they progress through the learning-to-drive process.
- Be there. Make sure your teen knows that if they need help, advice, or a ride, they can count on you. Extend this offer often and let your teen know that you are always available and encourage them to call you should they need your help.