Teen Driver Accidents Spike Between Memorial Day and Labor Day
It starts out the same way every year. The school bell rings for the last time in May, and teens in Gilbert and throughout Maricopa County pile into cars to celebrate summer’s freedom. But behind the joy and anticipation of beach trips, late-night drives, and part-time jobs lies a troubling reality. This season is the most dangerous time of year for young drivers in Arizona and across the nation.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, known as the “100 Deadliest Days,” serious and fatal car accidents involving teen drivers spike. In just the last five years, 13,135 people have lost their lives in crashes involving a teen driver. More than 30% of those deaths happened during the summer months. In 2023 alone, 860 people died in teen-involved crashes during this 100-day stretch. These aren’t just numbers. They’re brothers, sisters, friends, classmates, and parents. The pain is real and often preventable.
Why are the summer months more dangerous for teen drivers?
Summer gives teens something they often lack during the school year: time and freedom. Teen drivers tend to take longer trips and spend more hours behind the wheel without adult supervision. That freedom can also be deadly. On average, eight people are killed each day in summer crashes involving teen drivers, compared to seven per day the rest of the year. That may not sound like a huge difference, but over a 100-day period, that adds up to more than 100 additional lives lost.
Speed is often a factor, and so is nighttime driving. Adding distractions, such as phones or loud music, only increases the risk of injury. Distracted driving alone contributes to more than 9% of fatal crashes. However, the actual number may be higher, as distracted driving is often underreported.
What role do parents play in teen driving safety?
Teenagers may not admit it, but they’re always watching how the adults in their lives behave. If a parent speeds, texts while driving, or rolls through stop signs, those behaviors can quietly take hold. On the other hand, parents who model safe driving by buckling up, staying off their phones, and obeying traffic laws set a powerful example. Unfortunately, modeling good driving habits isn’t enough. Parents still need to talk openly and frequently with their teens about the risks associated with driving. And those conversations should start long before a teen gets their license.
AAA recommends creating a parent-teen driving agreement that lays out expectations. Set clear rules around nighttime driving, passengers, phone use, and speeding. Spell out the consequences and follow through.
How important is formal driver education?
Learning to drive from a parent can only go so far. Parents might not remember all the rules themselves. They may gloss over defensive driving tactics, and they can’t always simulate real-world dangers. That’s why a structured driver education course is so important. In addition to the rules of the road, it covers hazard recognition, safe decision-making, and how to handle emergencies. It also holds teens accountable in a way that a parent-led lesson might not.
Summer is an ideal time to enroll in a class. With flexible schedules and more daylight hours, teens can log quality time behind the wheel and in the classroom without the stress of school obligations. AAA offers driver education programs nationwide, with many available online or in a hybrid format, making them easily accessible.
Believe it or not, smartphones can actually help prevent crashes
It’s easy to point fingers at phones as the cause of so many crashes, and rightly so. But there’s another side to that coin. Phones can also be part of the solution. Most modern smartphones include a “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature that limits or blocks notifications while the device is in use. Yet many drivers don’t use it.
In a recent study, AAA investigated why drivers aged 18 to 24 tend to avoid using this potentially life-saving feature. For the first five weeks, researchers monitored phone use without any intervention. Then, participants received a training session on how to activate their phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature, which was then set to activate automatically when driving. The results were alarming:
- Before training, 50% didn’t know their phone had the feature.
- 85% didn’t know how to use it.
- 65% didn’t know it could activate automatically.
After training:
- 100% knew the feature existed, how it worked, and how to activate it.
- Phone interactions dropped by 41%.
- Drivers were 6% less likely to pick up their phones while driving.
Contact Browne Law Group for help with your injury claim
Whether your teen was hurt by a reckless driver or you were injured in a crash caused by a teen motorist, we know the stakes are high at Browne Law Group. The physical pain, medical bills, emotional toll, and uncertainty about what to do next can be overwhelming. That’s where we step in. Byron Browne is the car accident lawyer you want on your side in Gilbert, AZ, and throughout Maricopa County.
Our team takes a no-nonsense approach to every case. We don’t play games with insurance companies, and we don’t let them take advantage of our clients. From the start, we’ll gather key evidence and build a strong case aimed at holding the at-fault driver accountable. Additionally, we’ll handle the insurance company so you can focus on your recovery.
Let us explain your legal options, answer your questions, and help you make an informed decision about your next steps. Contact us today and discover why so many people in Gilbert and across the East Valley trust Browne Law Group after serious car accidents.
"After my car accident, I had no clue what to do. I called Byron ASAP. Byron ensured that my medical bills were paid and that I received a quick settlement." - Tim, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐