AAA: Deadly time for teen drivers is now

BOISE - Parents of teen drivers should be especially diligent during the summer months because it's the deadliest time for teen drivers and passengers, according to an analysis of crash data completed by AAA.

     "These are high risk months, in all likelihood, because many teens drive more often and with less parental supervision," said AAA Idaho Director of Public and Government Affairs Dave Carlson. "Unfortunately, teens may adopt a carefree attitude during the time of year when risks for a crash are highest."

    According to AAA, over 7,300 teen drivers and passengers ages 13-19 died in traffic crashes between the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays during the five-year period of 2005-2009. An average of 422 teens died in traffic crashes during each of the deadly summer months compared to a monthly average of 363 teen deaths during the non-summer months.

     Idaho recorded 200 fatalities in youthful driver crashes during the same five-year period. In 2009, teen drivers represented 6 percent of all drivers in the state, yet accounted for 14.9 percent of all fatal and injury crashes.  In addition, compared to other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use.

     AAA noted that Idaho and other states have restrictions on passengers and on night driving laws for teens as part of state Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws.

     Those laws were enacted precisely to deal with higher youth-related risks. Idaho's GDL law limits licensees under age 17 _ during the first six months from the date of issue of a class D driver's license _ from having more than one passenger who is under the age of 17, unless passengers are related by blood or marriage.

     The 10 deadliest days for teen drivers and passengers are January 21, May 20, May 26, June 10, July 2, July 4, July 9, July 15, July 23, and November 11.  Some of these dates correspond with activities such as prom, graduations, and the Fourth of July holiday.

AAA suggests tips for parents of teen drivers

o    Restrict driving and eliminate trips without purpose. Teens' crash risk is highest during the first year of driving solo. Parents should follow the law and work with their teens to set limits, including limiting driving to essential trips _ and only with permission.

o    Become an effective driving coach. Parent-supervised practice driving is the best way for teen drivers to gain experience. Parents share their wisdom accumulated over many years of driving. Practice the difficult maneuvers, too, for as long as it takes to be comfortable with your new driver's skill sets.

o    Limit the number of teen passengers and time as a passenger. Crash rates increase with each additional passenger. And riding in a vehicle with a teen driver can be risky for teen passengers.

      Crash risk begins to increase as early as age 12, well before a teen is eligible to obtain a driver's

    permit or license, and before many parents begin to think about their children being a risk riding     as a passenger of a teen driver. Set firm rules, consistent with the needs of your teen driver.

o    Restrict night driving. A teen driver's chances of being involved in a deadly crash double when driving at night. Many parents rightly limit driving during the highest-risk late night hours, yet they should limit evening hours as well, because more than half of nighttime crashes occur between 9 p.m. and midnight. AAA recommends that newly-licensed teens not drive after 9 or 10 p.m., unless accompanied by a responsible adult.

o    Establish a parent-teen driving agreement. Setting and enforcing clear rules about night driving, passengers, and access to the car are a sensible way to establish clear boundaries for young drivers. AAA offers a parent-teen driving agreement on its teen driver safety website, TeenDriving.AAA.com. The comprehensive website offers a variety of additional tools and resources for parents and teens as they progress through the learning-to-drive process, to include AAA StartSmart, a free online resource based on a research-tested program for families developed by the National Institutes of Health.