Teen Driver Crash Fatalities Spike During Summer Months, AAA Warns

A recent analysis by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals a troubling rise in crash fatalities involving teen drivers during the summer months, known as the ‘100 Deadliest Days’ between Memorial Day and Labor Day. From 2019 to 2023, 13,135 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers, with over 30% of those deaths occurring during the summer period. In 2023 alone, there were 2,897 such fatalities—860 of which occurred in that three-month span.

AAA attributes the seasonal spike to an increase in unsupervised driving as teens take to the roads during school breaks. With fewer structured schedules and less parental oversight, young drivers are more vulnerable to risky behaviors like speeding, distracted driving, and failure to buckle up. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texting while driving raises a teen’s crash risk by 23 times, and dialing a phone increases the risk sixfold.

To counter these risks, AAA recommends that parents set clear expectations, model safe driving behaviors, and consider formal driver education programs for their teens. They also emphasize the value of smartphone-blocking technologies and ‘do not disturb’ settings to reduce distraction-related crashes.

With fatal teen-involved crashes occurring at a higher daily rate in summer than during the rest of the year, traffic safety experts are encouraging families to be proactive. Strengthening driving habits now could save lives during the year’s most dangerous driving season for teens.