By: Serenity Anderson, Follow South Jersey Intern
SOUTH JERSEY – For most, summertime marks the beginning of a fresh start, when hot girl summer begins and school ends, when families embark on those talked-about vacations and kids come home every night with dirty hands and fresh tans.
For teens it means sleeping in until noon, getting caught up on the latest shows, and putting that newly earned driver’s license to use and going for adventures with friends.
For parents, these summertime adventures may pose as a cautionary tale.
AAA’s annual 100 Deadliest Days campaign marks the period of Memorial Day through Labor Day as the most fatal time for teen drivers to be on the road. From 2013–2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that across the nation, 6,697 people were killed during the summertime in teen driver-related crashes.
In New Jersey, twenty-nine percent of these devastating crashes occurred during the 100 Deadliest Days. From 2013–2022, 283 people were killed in teen driver related crashes with an average of 8 deaths per year during the 100 Deadliest Days.
Driving above the speed limit, texting or calling while driving, impaired driving, and having multiple passengers increase a teens likelihood of being involved in an accident.
Drivers may forget basic safety rules that could potentially save their life.
Director of New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Mike Rizol, emphasizes the importance of wearing a seatbelt while driving. “Fifty percent of the vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes last year were not buckled up… New Jersey’s seat belt usage rate currently stands at nearly 93%… [B]ut it is not high enough. Our goal is 100%.”
AAA South Jersey, in partnership with the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety and New Jersey State Police, want to remind all drivers to remain vigilant on the road this summer.
Not only is the responsibility up to teen drivers to remain vigilant of the road and maximize their driving experience by eliminating distractions, but it is also on parents to educate their children on the rules of the road by modeling appropriate behaviors.
Taking the time to pull over and look up directions or waiting until you arrive at your destination before responding to that text can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.
One death on the road is one too many. Especially if that death could have been prevented.
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