On June 10, 2011, AutoWeek.com published a story based on a recent study by AAA. According to the story, June 10th is one of the 10 deadliest days for teenagers to be on the road. Additionally, they go on to state that 6 of those 10 critical driving days fall between Memorial Day and Labor Day and five are in July.
With July quickly approaching, parents should take note of the following days AAA claims are historically known to include teenage vehicle fatalities. Those dates are as follows:
July 2
July 4
July 9
July 15
July 23
In this AutoWeek article, AAA spokeswoman Christie Hyde provided the following quote. “Parents must realize that there is no summer break from safety and be vigilant about remaining involved and enforcing rules with their teens.” It is worth adding that teenagers also need to be vigilant and aware of the dangers driving represents, especially given the historical record of the particular dates above.
The article ended with the following suggestions and tips from AAA to concerned parents:
- Restrict driving and eliminate trips without purpose, especially during the first year of driving.
- Become an effective driving coach with supervised practice sessions.
- Limit the number of passengers allowed in the car. The likelihood of a crash increases with each additional passenger.
- Restrict night driving. The chance of crashing doubles at night, especially between 9:00 p.m. and midnight.
- Establish a written driving agreement with your teen to make the rules clear, and enforce it!