According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the USA. The deadliest time is the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day for drivers between the ages of 15-20. It is during this time that teens are out of school, have more free time under less parental supervision and have more opportunities to drive at night, when the road risks are higher and their curfews later in the night. Inexperience and Immaturity are the two main factors in teen auto crashes.
Justin McNaull, state relations director for auto club AAA states that, "For many kids, every day in the summer is a weekend day." During the summer teens are less supervised by their parents and allowed more freedom, when it comes to driving. Teenagers also do more purposeless driving, which are more dangerous. Driving at 10pm is different than driving at 7am. The deadliest hours for teens are the hours between 10pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. It is because of their inexperience and immaturity that they tend to maneuver turns carelessly and rear-end other vehicles more frequently, and when you add the fact that they are doing this more at night it becomes even more dangerous.
States and Highway safety officials try to reach out to young drivers, as well as their parents, before the end of the school year to remind them to exercise caution while driving during summer vacation. The Washington Regional Alcohol Program, a non-profit group battling drunken driving and underage drinking in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, warns parents of the hazards of summer driving through media and parent-teacher organizations. According to this organization, during the summer months there are about 50% more drink driving deaths involving teens than any other time of the year.
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia have implemented laws specifically for teens. Two of the laws implemented are the "Click it or Ticket" and "Seat Belt Laws", which push seat belt usage for teens. Other than what the states can do, parents also need to be more responsible during the summer months for their children.
