Parents of teen drivers in Illinois should know about the 100 deadliest days. It’s a period of increased fatalities from accidents with teen drivers, and it goes from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It coincides with summer break, when more teens are out on the road and going to parties where they are likely to become impaired.
Teens can engage in all kinds of unsafe behaviors behind the wheel. Seventy-two percent of respondents aged 16 to 18 admitted in a recent Traffic Safety Culture Index that they did so at least once in the past 30 days. Of these, 47% said they drove 10 mph over the speed limit in a residential area, and 40% drove 15 mph over it on a freeway. Texting and driving (35%), red-light running (32%) and aggressive driving (31%) were included as well.
To ensure their teen’s safety during the 100 deadliest days, parents can speak to them more about the dangers of speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving and so on. They could mention that from 2008 to 2018, more than 8,300 people died in teen driving crashes during the 100 deadliest days. They could also set up practice driving sessions with their teen. To more effectively communicate their advice, parents must themselves be safe drivers.
The last thing that teen drivers want is for someone to suffer serious auto accident injuries because of their negligence. This can give rise to a personal injury claim. Victims, for their part, may want to have a lawyer evaluate their case before anything else; if they have good grounds for a claim, the lawyer may help with proving the defendant’s negligence and with negotiating for a settlement. If the auto insurance companies will not pay out a reasonable amount, the lawyer may proceed to litigation.
