During the summertime, North Carolina’s roadways see an influx of teenage motorists, many of whom are new to driving. When schools are out for the season, teens tend to spend much more time on the roads, and this means increased risks for everyone sharing the road with them.
Per the Stanly News & Press, crashes and fatal crashes involving teen drivers spike during the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year. So many fatalities take place within this span that safety advocates now refer to it as summer’s 100 Deadliest Days.
100 Deadliest Days statistics
A review of 100 Deadliest Days periods between 2010 and 2019 revealed sobering statistics about what a deadly time this is to be on the road. In North Carolina, an average of 66 people die annually in crashes involving teenage drivers. Of those 66 road deaths, 44 of them take place during the 100 Deadliest Days period. In total, 260 people lost their lives in North Carolina over 100 Deadliest Days periods between 2010 and 2019.
On the national level, 30% of all fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the 100 Deadliest Days span. This amounts to more than seven such deaths per day during the summertime.
100 Deadliest Days crash contributors
Many fatal summertime crashes involving teens share similar characteristics. Speed is a common factor in these crashes. Distracted driving, drowsy driving and impaired driving are as well.
Parents may be able to improve their teenagers’ driving habits by modeling responsible behind-the-wheel behaviors and monitoring when and with whom their teens drive.
