The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS) warns that between Memorial Day and Labor Day there will be more fatal crashes involving teen drivers than any other time of the year. This danger zone for American teenagers has been dubbed the “100 Deadliest Days.”
An average of ten (10) people each day will die in a fatal motor vehicle accident involving a teen driver during the 100 Deadliest Days.
Dangers of Teenagers Behind the Wheel During Summer Months
We already know that motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of teenager deaths in this country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The risk rises every summer for these tragic accidents.
Researchers and safety advocates discuss a variety of reasons why teen drivers are so much more likely to be in a deadly motor vehicle collision, especially in the summertime. They are out of school. The warmer weather invites all of us to drive more. The teen drivers are inexperienced and more likely to err while operating their motor vehicle.
Whatever the cause, the reality for everyone on the roads of Indiana and Illinois is we all face a higher risk of a fatal traffic accident caused by a teen driver during the months of June, July, and August.
From AAAFTS executive director Dr. David Yang:
“The number of fatal crashes involving teen drivers during the summer is an important traffic safety concern and research shows that young drivers are at greater risk and have higher crash rates compared to older and more experienced drivers. Through education, proper training, and involvement of parents, we can help our young drivers to become better and safer drivers, which in turn keeps the roads safer for everyone.”
Last year, the AAAFTS published a safety study dealing specifically with teen driver summer crash fatalities and found the following for teen drivers (16 or 17 years old). These teens are:
- 9 times as likely as drivers 18 and older to be involved in a crash.
- 6 times as likely as drivers 18 and older to be involved in a fatal crash.
- 5 times as likely as drivers 30-59 to be involved in a crash.
- 2 times as likely as drivers 30-59 to be involved in a fatal crash.
See, Tefft, Brian. “Rates of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Injuries and Deaths in Relation to Driver Age, United States, 2014-2015.” AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (2017).
Contributing Factors to Deadly Car Accidents Caused by a Teen Driver
The core issue, of course, is not whether to bar teenagers from driving (although that may be the decision for some parents). The key question for many researchers is to pinpoint the reasons that these teen drivers fail to drive correctly and end up being involved in a fatal traffic crash, where they, their passengers or those in the other vehicle (as well as bicyclists, pedestrians, etc.) perish as a result.
The AAAFTS points to two contributing factors in the increase in fatal teen collisions during the 100 Deadliest Days based upon its research: driving at night and driving over the speed limit.
- Teen Drivers Driving at Night Are More Likely to Have a Fatal Car Crash.
According to AAAFTS, 36% of teen driver traffic fatalities happen after nine o’clock in the evening and before dawn (5:00 a.m.). Ten percent (10%) of all nighttime fatal traffic accidents involve a teen driver. During the 100 Deadliest Days, the number of nighttime fatal car crashes involving teenaged drivers rises 22%.
- Teenagers who Disregard the Speed Limit are More Likely to Have a Fatal Accident.
Research reveals that 10% of all fatal traffic collisions where speed is a factor have a teen driver. Overall, speed-related traffic fatalities make up 29% of the total number of deaths caused by car accidents in this country.
We have discussed other factors that contribute to teen driver fatal car accidents (see links below). While driving at night and speeding are factors that cause these young drivers to crash, they are not the only reasons determined by researchers to be the cause of so many fatal accidents involving teen drivers.
These two factors, nighttime driving and speeding, do have an increased influence in the summer months, however. They are part of the reason that June, July, and August are the 100 Deadliest Days.
Other contributing factors to teen driver fatal accidents include:
- Distracted Driving
- Inexperienced Drivers
- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
- Driving Under the Influence of Drugs
- Other Common Causes of Fatal Crashes (Defective Products, Road Hazards, Weather Conditions, etc.)
For more, read:
- Teen Driver Accidents: Causes and Consequences
- Teen Drivers Legally Licensed and Still Dying Behind the Wheel – Car Crashes Number One Cause of Teen Deaths (14 – 18 Year Olds)
- Distracted Driving Kills People: Consumer Reports and DOT Join Forces to Fight Teens Using Handheld Devices While Driving.
Curfew Laws for Teen Drivers in Indiana and Illinois
Most states try and protect teen drivers from fatal collisions after sunset with specific traffic regulations that limit the hours when a teen can be driving on the roads. These laws place a curfew on teen drivers. (County and municipal curfews may be even more stringent.)
Illinois Curfew on Teen Drivers
For instance, teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 may be allowed to drive in the State of Illinois, but they have a nighttime driving restriction. Teenagers who are 15-17 years old cannot legally drive in Illinois during the following curfews:
- Sunday – Thursday, 10 p.m.-6 a.m.
- Friday – Saturday, 11 p.m.-6 a.m.
Indiana Curfew on Teen Drivers
Hoosiers who reach the age of 16 years plus 90 days and have passed a state-approved driver education course may apply for a probationary license with the State of Indiana. This driver’s license comes with several prohibitions, including a limitation on who can be a passenger in the car when they drive (e.g., only brothers and sisters, etc.) and a nighttime driving restriction as follows:
- For the first 180 days, the teen driver cannot drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.;
- After 180 days, if the teen driver is under age 18, the night limit changes to 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (Sunday-Thursday nights) and 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. (Friday and Saturday nights).
- The Indiana curfew has exemptions for trips to school, work, or religious events.
From Richard Romer, AAA Manager of State Relations:
“Not only are risks, like nighttime driving, a particular danger to young drivers, nearly every state also has a law restricting how late teens may be out on the roads. This is a timely reminder for parents to be actively involved in their teen’s learning-to-drive process, understanding the risks and to be educated on their state’s teen driving law.”
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This summer and especially over the upcoming Fourth of July Holiday, please be alert and aware of the increased danger you face driving the roads of Indiana and Illinois from teen drivers. We are in the “100 Deadliest Days” for Fatal Teen Driver Accidents.
Accident injury laws and wrongful death statutes exist to find justice for victims of these tragic accidents, but the better result by far is avoiding the risk and keeping loved ones safe. Let’s be careful out there!
