The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gathers data on automobile crashes. A new analysis of this data shows that July 4, Independence Day, is the deadliest day for teenagers to be driving. Parents should remind their teens about driving safety before handing over the keys on this holiday.
Independence Day, or The Fourth of July, is a national holiday. Many people will have the day off of work, and banks are usually closed. This is a day to spend with your family watching fireworks and celebrating the birthday of the United States of America.
Unfortunately, it also just so happens to be the deadliest day for teenage drivers, according to data gathered by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Of course, this means that the Fourth of July is equally deadly for the drivers of vehicles who share the road with the driving teens on that dangerous day.
Nationally speaking, car crashes are the number one cause of death for everyone who is between the ages of 1 and 34. However, the likelihood of a teenage driver crashing is four times higher than any other age group. The latest analysis of data gathered by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety shows that over 800 people were killed from a car crash on July 4 in the years 2006 through 2010. On average, 140 people will die from a car crash that happens on Independence Day.
One of the reasons why July 4 is so dangerous for drivers is because of distractions. If you are watching a fireworks display while driving down the road, then you are not paying attention to the other drivers. Other distractions include things like the driver interacting with friends who are in the vehicle, and using a cell phone to have a conversation while driving.
Parents should remind their teens to put on their seat belts and put down their cell phones while driving. Remind them to pay close attention to the vehicles they are sharing the road with. If your teenager just recently got his or her driver’s license, it might be safer for you to do the driving on the Fourth of July this year, instead of your teen.
Now is a good time to review the rules of the road and to point out the proper speed limit for the roads that your teen is likely to drive on her way to see the fireworks displays. Parents who are concerned do not need to feel as though they have to hand over the keys to their teenager. There may be some complaints, but, that is much easier to deal with than the results of a car accident would be.
Image by Anthony Cramp on Flickr