Fatal accidents involving teens increase in the summer

Jul 28, 2021

In the summer of 2020, 10 people died in car crashes that involved teenage drivers in Connecticut. Three fatal accidents involving teens have already occurred in 2021.

Experts warn that deadly crashes involving teens tend to increase in the summer, but why does this happen?

Why more fatal accidents involving teens happen in the summer

Many teenagers wait for warm weather to obtain their drivers’ licenses, which leads to an increase in new drivers on the road in the summer. Additionally, the warmer weather and school being out leads to more teenagers driving.

Why teens cause more accidents

Drivers between the age of 16 and 19 cause more vehicle crashes than any other age group. Male drivers are particularly at risk. Teenage males are more than twice as likely to die in a crash than their female peers. The risk is highest during the first few months after a new driver obtains a license. Several factors put teens more at risk:

Inexperience
Weekend and nighttime driving
Not wearing seat belts
Speeding
Distracted driving
Alcohol use

How to reduce fatal accidents

Almost half of all teens who die in crashes are not wearing a seat belt. Parents should stress the need to always wear a seat belt. Additionally, parents should educate their teens about risky behaviors, such as speeding and driving while tired, distracted or impaired.

Inexperience is a major contributing factor to the high rate of fatal accidents involving teens. In addition to teaching safe driving habits, parents may want to restrict their teens to only supervised driving during the first few months.

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