Parents in Texas should always remind their teens about the value of safe driving. However, this is perhaps most important in the days preceding summer break. The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is actually known as the “100 deadliest days” because of the increase in fatalities from teen driving crashes.
AAA says that between 2008 and 2018, there were more than 8,300 fatalities arising from teen driving crashes during the 100 deadliest days. This comes to an average of over seven fatalities for each day of summer. For every mile driven, drivers aged 16 to 17 are three times as likely as adults are to be killed in a motor vehicle accident.
In a recent Traffic Safety Culture Index, 72% of respondents aged 16 to 18 admitted to some act or other of negligent driving. The most widespread was to speed in a residential area (47%), followed by speeding on the freeway (40%) and texting (35%).
Besides telling teens about the dangers of these and other activities, parents should set a good example. They could also consider setting up practice driving sessions with their teens. AAA recommends at least 50 hours of this and provides a free guide on coaching.
Motor vehicle accidents — car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bike and pedestrian accidents, distracted driving — are usually the result of negligence: that is, the failure to uphold the duty of care to other road users. Drivers of all ages can be guilty of this. In Texas, victims of a crash can seek compensation from the other side as long as the defendant’s degree of fault is greater than theirs. They may achieve a reasonable settlement with legal advice and guidance.
