100 Deadliest Days: AAA reveals data of summer crashes involving teen drivers in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are labeled the 100 deadliest days, according to AAA, in which crash data revealed patterns of deaths involving teen drivers.

Across the nation, there have been 13,135 people killed in crashes involving teen drivers between 2019 and 2023 -- 30% of them occurred between Memorial Day and Labor Day. In Virginia, during this period, there were 246 people killed in crashes involving teen drivers -- one-third of them happened within the 100 deadliest days.

“During the summer months, teens tend to have more unstructured time behind the wheel as they commute to summer jobs, enjoy summertime activities and spend time with friends," said Morgan Dean, AAA Mid-Atlantic's Public and Government Affairs Manager for Virginia. "Unfortunately, as more teens take to the road over the summer, the results can be deadly.  AAA recommends that parents take time now to both model safe driving behaviors and help ensure their teens practice them as well." 

AAA recommends the following guidance for parents of teens:

• Speak with your teens about about refraining from dangerous behavior while driving -- like speeding, impairment and distracted driving.
• Lead by example and refrain from risky behavior while driving.
• Create a parent-teen driving agreement to set family rules for teen drivers.
• Complete at least 60 hours of supervised driving practice with your teen, including 10 hours of driving at night.
• Ensure that your teen's driving school's curriculum is up to date and includes content on advanced vehicle technology, the effects of cannabis on driving abilities, changes to Move Over laws and sharing the road with vulnerable road users. In addition, AAA advised parents to consider a driving school that hosts parent sessions for guidance.
• Encourage your teen to use "do not disturb" features on their phones while driving to silence distractions.

For more tips and information on teen driving safety, visit AAA's website.