100 Deadliest Days, and how you can help keep your teen safe

100 Deadliest Days, and how you can help keep your teen safe


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SALT LAKE CITY — This month, Utah's new teen cell phone ban law went into effect, banning teen drivers from using their cell phones while driving. Coupled with the existing anti-texting law, this cell phone ban will provide a safer and more distraction-free environment for teen drivers. And it could not have come at a better time.

June, July and August are dangerous driving months for teen drivers, and are referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days because of the increased number of fatal crashes. This is why it is all the more important for teens to put down their phones and be focused on the road when they're behind the wheel.


June, July and August are dangerous driving months for teen drivers, and are referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days because of the increased number of fatal crashes.

Combining the inherent risk of inexperienced teen drivers with the distraction posed by cell phones results is a very dangerous combination. The best way for teenagers to cultivate the necessary skills and experience to become safe and sensible drivers is to control the risk to which they are exposed.

According to the "2010 Utah Crash Summary":

  • Cell phone use is the leading driver distraction in Utah, accounting for 17.5% of the 20,885 distracted driving crashes between 2007-2010
  • In 2010, crashes involving a cell phone distracted driver were 1.5 times more likely to result in an injury when compared to all crashes.
  • 50% of high school students who drive admit they talk on a cell phone daily while driving.
  • 61% of 12th grade students who drive report they talk on a cell phone daily while driving.
  • Many teens have an inflated sense of their ability to drive safely using electronic devices.

Parents should not underestimate the critical role they play in keeping their teens safe. And, they need to remain involved with their teens even after they receive their license, letting them know that the choices they make behind the wheel could make the difference between life and death.

Here are some AAA Tips for Parents to Keep Teen Drivers Safe:

Set boundaries for teens' first-year trips

100 Deadliest Days, and how you can help keep your teen safe

Driving is what gives teens their experience and is how they can hone their driving skills, but parents need to control the circumstances under which their teens drive. For the first year, teens should either drive with a parent or alone to provide safer driving environments when they are needed most.

Become an effective driving coach

The best way for new teen drivers to gain experience is through parent-supervised practice driving, where parents can share their wisdom accumulated over many years of driving. Even after a teen has a license that allows solo driving, parents and teens should continue to practice driving together to help the teen manage increasingly more complex and challenging driving conditions.

Limit the number of teen passengers and time as a passenger

Teen crash rates increase with each teen passenger in the vehicle. Fatal crash rates for 16- to 19-year-olds increase fivefold when two or more teen passengers are present versus when teens drive alone. Also, riding in a vehicle with a teen driver can be risky for teen passengers. Crash risk begins to increase at the age of 12, well before a teen can obtain a driver's permit or license - and before many parents start to think about their children being at risk riding as a passenger of a teen driver. Parents should set firm rules against driving with teen passengers and restrict their teens from riding as a passenger with a teen driver.


Teen crash rates increase with each teen passenger in the vehicle. Fatal crash rates for 16- to 19-year-olds increase fivefold when two or more teen passengers are present versus when teens drive alone.

Restrict night driving

A teen driver's chances of being involved in a deadly crash doubles when driving at night. Many parents rightly limit driving during the highest-risk late night hours, yet they should limit evening driving as well, as 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.

Establish a parent-teen driving agreement

Many parents and teens find written agreements help set and enforce clear rules about night driving, passengers, access to the car, and more. AAA offers a parent-teen driving agreement parents can use.

Visit www.aaa.com/teensdrive for more AAA tips and resources to help keep teens safe behind the wheel.

Rolayne Fairclough handles media relations, government relations and community involvement for AAA Utah.

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