'100 Deadliest Days' Begins In Washington: Teen Driver Safety

BELLEVUE, WA — Traffic safety experts are sharing a few safety reminders for families with younger drivers as Washington enters the summer months that are typically most dangerous for teens on the road. Known as the "100 Deadliest Days," AAA said more than half of the deaths involving teen drivers happen between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

"Summer presents a particularly dangerous stretch for teen drivers who have more time to spend behind the wheel, yet lack the experience, skills and maturity of more seasoned drivers," AAA wrote. "AAA encourages parents to help reduce crash risks during these '100 Deadliest Days' by modeling safe driving behaviors and ensuring their teens adopt them."

While Washington recorded the 10th least teen driving deaths in the country in 2019, AAA found at least two dozen young drivers still died in crashes. At least 54 percent happened between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Over the last decade, AAA found 343 teen drivers died in Washington during that timeframe, among the more than 7,000 killed nationwide.

"There are more fatal crashes involving teen drivers during the summer months than the rest of the year because teens tend to have more unstructured time behind the wheel and lack experience," said Kelly Just, traffic safety programs manager for AAA Washington. "To prevent these tragedies, we encourage teens to double down on staying focused when driving by putting their phones away, buckling up for every ride, and driving within posted speed limits."

Beyond the basics, AAA said it's also never too early for parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of distracted driving and speeding and the impairment caused by alcohol or marijuana.

AAA has assembled a list of safety resources for parents with teen drivers on its website.