The 100 Dangerous Days of Summer: What Baltimore Parents Need To Know About Teen Car Accidents
School is out, schedules are loose, and more young drivers are on Baltimore’s roads than at any other time of year. The stretch of days between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known among traffic safety experts as the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer. For teenage drivers, this period carries a significantly elevated risk of serious and fatal car accidents.
Our Maryland car accident lawyers represent victims of these crashes and their families and see firsthand how devastating they can be. Find out the risks teen drivers pose during the summer and ways parents can help protect them on the road.
Why Teen Car Accidents in Baltimore Spike During the Summer Months
Teen drivers are less mature and lack the experience and skill of older drivers. These factors alone increase the likelihood of a collision. The summer months, when teens are out of school and more likely to be on the road, heighten the risks.
The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) warns that drivers under 18 are three times more likely to be involved in life-threatening crashes during the summer than at any other time of year. Factors that increase the risks include:
- Increased nighttime driving as teens stay out later.
- Peer pressure makes teens more likely to engage in speeding and other reckless behavior.
- Alcohol and drug use, a leading contributor to teen traffic fatalities.
- Distracted driving, such as texting, adjusting music, and interacting with passengers.
The NRSF reports that 60 percent of all fatal teen accidents happen due to distracted driving. In addition to endangering themselves and their passengers, distracted or reckless driving puts other motorists at risk.
How Baltimore Parents Can Help Reduce Teen Car Accident Risks
While teens rely on driving to get to summer jobs and hang out with friends, parents need to be aware of the risks. Maryland’s Highway Safety Office reports that more than 20 teens are killed each year due to crashes and collisions. Ways to protect them over the summer months include:
- Set strict rules regarding nighttime driving, passenger limits, and phone use.
- Use a parent-teen driving agreement to formalize expectations around safe driving behavior.
- Consider installing a GPS or driving monitor app that alerts parents to speeding, hard braking, and other risky behaviors.
- Talk openly and often about the risks and what can happen when teens engage in drunk driving or other reckless behaviors.
Maryland’s graduated licensing law also helps reduce the risks. It limits the number of passengers teenage drivers can carry and restricts nighttime driving for new license holders.
Contact Our Experienced Baltimore Car Accident Lawyers
Even with precautions in place, car accidents involving teen drivers in Baltimore can still happen. At Maryland Injury Lawyers, we provide the caring support and trusted legal representation families need in the aftermath, helping them navigate the claims process and get the compensation they are entitled to. Call or contact our experienced Maryland car accident lawyers online today to schedule a consultation.
Sources:
nrsf.org/100-safest-days-summer
zerodeathsmd.gov/road-safety/young-driver-safety/
mva.maryland.gov/your-mva-guide/teens-new-drivers/provisional-license
