Fatal Teen Car Crashes Spike in Phoenix | Gerber Injury Law

The “Hundred Deadliest Days” is a term referring to the time-frame between Memorial Day and Labor Day for deadly car crashes involving teen drivers. More teenagers are involved in fatal crashes during this time of the year. As a Phoenix attorney, Ken Gerber isn’t surprised since he has handled many cases like this. Unfortunately, teens don’t get the message and accidents continue to happen. An average of 10 people per day die at the hands of car crashes involving teen drivers during the 100 Deadliest Days. Nationally, more than 1,050 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver in 2016 during this time frame, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). “The number of fatal crashes involving teen drivers during the summer is an important traffic safety concern and research shows that young drivers are at greater risk and have higher crash rates compared to older and more experienced drivers,” said Dr. David Yang, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety executive director.

Arizona’s GDL Law Starts July 1

Distracted driving is one of the biggest causes of teen-related accidents. Arizona is already taking steps to cut down on this with the Graduated Driver License Law. Starting July 1, teen drivers in Arizona will be prohibited from using electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets while driving with a permit and for the first six months of the graduated driver license phase. The exception is in emergency situations. Speeding and driving at night, though, contribute to the majority of teen car crashes. In 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 36 percent of all car wrecks involve teen drivers happened between 9 pm and 5 am. More than a third of car accident deaths involving a teenage driver were speed related.

What Parents Should Do

“Through education, proper training, and involvement of parents, we can help our young drivers to become better and safer drivers, which in turn keeps the roads safer for everyone,” said Yang. AAA encourages parents to talk to their teens about risky driving behavior including speeding and nighttime driving. Parents should lead by example when behind the wheel. Another good idea is to make a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers. While teen drinking and driving doesn’t lead to as many accidents during the summer months as it does during other times of the year, it’s still a good idea to remind your teen that this is a deadly combination. “I have handled many, many tragic cases through the years involving drinking and driving, as well as injuries to underage drivers and passengers,” said Phoenix Attorney Ken Gerber. “Parents need to have in-depth, honest discussions with their teens about the dangers of this and give them the understanding that the short-term consequences of being punished by their parents for drinking pale in comparison to the lifelong consequences of killing or injuring someone after choosing to drink and drive.” If you should find yourself needing a Phoenix attorney, Ken Gerber is available for a free consultation.