The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers.
More than 30% of deaths involving teen drivers across the country occur during that time, according to AAA, the auto club.
AAA numbers also show that in Michigan, an average of 64 teen drivers die in crashes yearly; Thirty-six percent of those happen in the 100 deadliest days.
Nia Trueheart, 19, describes getting behind the wheel.
“It is nerve-wracking because some people don’t be paying attention,” said Trueheart.
It’s even more nerve-wracking for her mom Kimberly Trueheart.
“I always tell her you have to look out for the other driver,” said Kimberly.
Then there’s the fact that there are more orange cones and barrels up this year.
“When she’s coming here to work, she’s in construction,” Kimberly said. “When she’s coming home, she’s in construction. If she’s going to the mall, she’s in construction.”
They are proactive, but hearing those stats from the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers was alarming for Nia and Kimberly.
“Distracted driving is the issue for teen drivers,” said AAA spokesperson Adrienne Woodland. “Distraction from cell phone, infotainment center, but the main distraction for teens are other teen passengers, so these are all problems along with speeding up and then teens’ lack of use of a safety belt are all factors.”
AAAs advice to parents:
- Lead by example
- Conduct at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving
- Teach defensive driving skills
- Establish a parent-teen driving agreement
AAA also offers online driving courses to help prevent teen drivers from getting involved in a crash, and this tool to help find the best driving resources near you.