100 Deadliest Days of Summer

Memorial Day is the unofficial or official kickoff of Summer depending on who you talk to.  Memorial Day is also the beginning of the '100 Deadliest Days' of Summer.  In other words, the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Triple A Idaho has issues a press release to remind everyone, especially young inexperienced drivers 16-17 years of age, to drive responsibly and defensively.  Did you know young drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a crash that could turn deadly?

Why is Summer so dangerous?  Well kids do not have the years of on the road experience.  Teen and new drivers told the AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index to troubling driving habits.  The information was gathered within the last 30 days and represented 72 percent of drivers aged 16-18.

The following is a list of what the teens admitted to:

Driving 10mph over the speed limit on a residential street (47%)

Driving 15mph over the speed limit on a freeway or highway (40%)

Texting while driving (35%)

Red Light running (32%)

Aggressive Driving (31%0

Drowsy Driving (25%)

Driving without a seatbelt (17%)

Has the stay at home order impacted young drivers ability to drive safely?  "This summer presents unique challenges.  One of the unintended consequence of the stay at home orders is that people's driving skills may be a little rusty, which is even a bigger concern when it comes to teens who have less driving experience to begin with," says AAA Public Affairs Director Matthew Conde.  "With everyone getting back on the roads together at the same time, it will take a collective effort to avoid a major spike in crash fatalities and serious injuries.."