somd news southern maryland accidents Archives - The Southern Maryland Chronicle

Fatal teen crash rates show drinking and driving speeding and distraction are among top killers on the road during the summer News Release AAA TOWSON MD Thursday May 30 2019 nbsp nbsp Over the past five years nearly 3 500 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers during the 100 Deadliest Days the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when the number of crash fatalities involving a teen driver historically rise New crash data from 2013-2017 reveals major factors contributing to fatal teen crashes during the summer driving period include Speeding 28 percent Drinking and driving 17 percent Distraction 9 percent Crash data shows that teens are a vulnerable driver group with a higher probability of being involved in crashes said Dr David Yang Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety And while teens may make mistakes when first learning to drive it is important to continue educating them about safety behind the wheel so they avoid the reckless behaviors that put themselves and others at risk on the road AAA Foundation research found that nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel Crashes for teen drivers increase significantly during the summer because teens are out of school and driving more Over the past five years during the 100 Deadliest Days An average of almost 700 people died each year in crashes involving teen drivers The average number of deaths from crashes involving teen drivers ages 15-18 was 17 percent higher per day compared to other days of the year Reckless behavior like drinking and driving speeding and distraction are contributing to the alarming number of crash deaths involving teen drivers each summer Speeding Speeding significantly increases the severity of a crash and is a growing problem among teen drivers In the AAA Foundation s latest Traffic Safety Culture Index half 49 7 percent of teen drivers reported speeding on a residential street in the past 30 days and nearly 40 percent say they sped on the freeway Drinking and Driving Despite the fact that teens cannot legally consume alcohol one in six teen drivers involved in fatal crashes during the summer tested positive for alcohol Distraction- Underreported Problem More than half of teen drivers 52 percent in the AAA Foundation s latest nbsp Traffic Safety Culture Index nbsp report reading a text message or email while driving in the past 30 days and nearly 40 percent report sending a text or email It is difficult for law enforcement to detect distraction following a crash which has made distracted driving one of the most underreported traffic safety issues Additional AAA Foundation research using in-vehicle dash-cam videos of teen driver crashes found distraction was involved in 58 percent of teen crashes approximately four times as many as federal estimates Unfortunately teens are making deadly mistakes on the road said Ragina Cooper Averella Public and Government Affairs Manager at AAA Mid-Atlantic Parents are the best line of defense to keep everyone safe behind the wheel and now nbsp is a timely reminder for them to remain actively involved in their teen s learning-to-drive process and modeling safe driving behaviors themselves To keep roads safer this summer AAA encourages parents to Talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior behind the wheel such as speeding impairment and distracted driving Teach by example and minimize risky behavior when driving Make a nbsp parent-teen driving agreement nbsp that sets family rules for teen drivers Join their teens in taking the pledge not to drive distracted atwww AAA com DontDriveDistracted nbsp Teens should also prepare for summer driving by practicing safety during every trip said Averella Storing your phone out of reach minding the speed limit and staying away from impairing substances like alcohol and marijuana will help prevent many crashes from ever occurring To help teens and families stay safe on the road AAA is inviting the public to sign the Don t Drive Intoxicated Don t Drive Intexticated pledge at any AAA Mid-Atlantic location on Saturday June 1 from 10 a m to 2 p m To find a local AAA location please go toAAA com events Please note AAA Salisbury s event will end at 1 p m TeenDriving AAA com nbsp has a variety of tools to help prepare parents and teens for the dangerous summer driving season The online AAA nbsp StartSmart nbsp program also offers great resources for parents on how to become effective in-car coaches as well as advice on how to manage their teen s overall driving privileges Teens preparing for the responsibility of driving should enroll in a driver education program that teaches how to avoid driver distraction and other safety skills About AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Established in 1947 by AAA the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a not-for-profit publicly funded 501 c 3 charitable research and educational organization The AAA Foundation s mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce injuries when they do occur This research is used to develop educational materials for drivers pedestrians bicyclists and other road users Visitwww AAAFoundation org