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With just a few days left before school is dismissed for summer vacation, our thoughts turn to our teens and their safety. The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the “100 Deadliest Days” as this time period has seen a 43 percent jump in vehicle crashes and fatalities by teen drivers, according to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety statistics.

Teens have more time on their hands for adventure during the summer, and some of these adventures often turn deadly when driving is in the equation. “Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of teen deaths in the United States,” says ImpactTeenDriver.org, an organization to prevent teen-driver deaths.

Based on the federal government’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), an average of 220 teen drivers and teen passengers died in traffic crashes nationwide during each of the summer months in 2013 (latest available data).

AAA says the seven most dangerous days on the road for teens during summer are May 20, May 23, June 10, July 4, July 9, August 8 and August 14. 

Reasons teen drivers are more at risk from HealthNY.gov:

Drivers in this age group have lower rates of seat belt use and are more likely to transport multiple teen passengers, which are factors that contribute to increased injury and crash risk.

Nearly half of the car crashes involving teen drivers were caused by driver errors. These errors include the lack of the “scanning” skill to assess the environment sufficiently while behind the wheel, and driving too fast for road conditions.

Driving inexperience, coupled with distractions, such as the presence of teen passengers and cell phone use, is a scenario that can greatly increase the risk of a deadly car crash.

Parents can keep their teens safe this summer with these 5 practical tips from AAA:

Restrict driving and eliminate trips without purpose; teens have three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers, based on the number of miles driven, and a teen's crash risk is highest during the first year of solo driving. Parents should limit teens' driving to essential trips, and only with parental permission for at least the first year of driving.

Become an effective driving coach. The best way for new teen drivers to gain experience is through parent-supervised practice driving, where parents can share their wisdom accumulated over many years of driving. Even after a teen has a license that allows solo driving, parents and teens should continue to practice driving together to help the teen manage increasingly more complex and challenging driving conditions.

Limit the number of teen passengers and time as a passenger. Teen crash rates increase with each teen passenger in the vehicle. Fatal crash rates for teens ages 16-19 increase fivefold when two or more teen passengers are present versus when teens drive alone. Also, riding in a vehicle with a teen driver can be risky for teen passengers. Crash risk begins to increase at the age of 12, well before a teen can obtain a driver's permit or license and before many parents start to think about their children being at risk riding as a passenger of a teen driver. Parents should set firm rules against driving with teen passengers, and restrict their teens from riding as a passenger with a teen driver.

Restrict night driving. A teen driver's chances of being involved in a deadly crash doubles when driving at night. Many parents rightly limit driving during the highest-risk late night hours, yet they should limit evening driving as well, as more than half of night-time crashes occur between 9 p.m. and midnight. 

Establish a parent-teen driving agreement.  Many parents and teens find written agreements help set and enforce clear rules about night driving, passengers, access to the car, and more. 

There are some free phone apps to assist parents in monitoring their teen’s driving from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. These apps are:

Road Ready, sponsored by Ford, and available in the Apple App store, allows parents to monitor teens during the first phase of driving while they are getting their learner’s permit and practicing to take tests for their licenses using GPS data and a connection to an Internet source.

Safe Driver, an iPhone app, alerts parents via text or email when the teen goes above the speed limit, using Google maps to find the speed limits in an area. Parents also can see the teen’s location.

Text Arrest. An app for Android phones will shut down a teen’s phone when they are in a moving vehicle.

Sprint Drive First. An app for Sprint customers causes calls to be sent directly to voicemail and incoming texts to receive an auto-reply when in a vehicle going 10 mph or more.

AT&T DriveMode. An app for AT&T customers. With a tap on the phone to enable, the phone sends an “unavailable” reply to incoming texts and emails, while calls are sent to voicemail. It also silences tones for incoming texts, emails or calls and blocks Web browsing or outgoing calls.

 “Teens who obey traffic rules and regulations, follow GDL regulations, and have actively involved parents are much less likely to crash,” said J. Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Just think how many lives could be saved with the combination of the right laws and parental involvement.”

“When a teen is involved in a vehicle crash, it is devastating for the family. We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. have the experienced legal team to handle these vehicle accident cases,” said Naples Vehicle Accident Attorney, Randall Spivey.

Naples Vehicle Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.