Summer has arrived and you, like your fellow Connecticut residents, are no doubt eager to enjoy the warm weather. Many things can feel easier and more fun in the long, sunny days of summer compared to the cold days of winter. Driving is one of these things. Teen drivers especially may feel an increased sense of freedom with school being out of session. This freedom, however, can put your teenager at a greater risk of being involved in a car accident.
According to an article in the West Hartford Patch, AAA calls the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day the 100 most deadly days of summer for teen drivers. Whether from a rear-end collision, a head-on collision or some other type of crash, teen drivers and others can suffer serious injury or even death. Statistics show that the number of teen deaths in a car collision during June, July, and August is 26 percent higher than during other months of the year.
You can help your teenager improve safety for himself or herself as well as others on the road. Make sure you enforce the laws, such as not allowing teens under 18 to drive between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless for designated activities as outlined by law. Consider drawing up a contract with your teenager that includes consequences for not following the law or your family rules. Certainly many accidents involving teenage drivers are the fault of other adults, such as drunk drivers. Your guidance can still help your children.
