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Editorial: Deadly season for teen drivers

 
Published June 3, 2016

Buckle up. It's the time of year when more young drivers die in car crashes. With new research showing how often those crashes are caused by distracted driving, motorists should be on guard and parents should educate their teens on the risks of using their phones behind the wheel.

Dubbed the "100 Deadliest Days" by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the period beginning June 1 sees teenage drivers killing 10 people every day nationwide. Deaths from teen driver crashes go up by 16 percent compared with the rest of the year. Out of school, young people may be taking unfamiliar routes to new jobs or vacation spots. Certainly, teenage drivers are less experienced and may crash for any number of reasons. Yet AAA's study found 3 in 5 of their crashes are cases of distracted driving. Though teens actually text while driving less than older drivers, phone use is the second most common distraction causing teens to crash, after dealing with other passengers. Florida, one of only a few states where young drivers can't be pulled over solely for texting while driving, has seen distracted driving crashes skyrocket over the past three years.

Parents should consider AAA's advice and work to ensure their children avoid distractions from phones or friends while driving. Take this time of the year as an opportunity to remind teens how easily crashes can occur and the gravity of the consequences. Teen drivers should take care to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. And more experienced motorists should drive defensively, especially over the summer.