WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Right now is known as the deadliest time of the year for teen drivers as school is out and Summer break is in full swing, according to AAA Texas.
According to their data 1,463 people died in teen crashes in Texas from 2019-2023, with 30% of those deaths taking place during the "100 Deadliest Days," which takes place from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
In fact, Texas actually leads the nation with the most people killed by teen drivers, with AAA Texas adding that 60% of all teen crashes involve a form of distraction.
While technology, like cell phones play a big role in those stats, there’s something else even more dangerous.
Daniel Armbruster, AAA Texas's Public and Community Relations, said, "Actually, for teen drivers, the biggest distraction we see in fatal crashes is actually other teens in the car with them. So certainly young drivers can pose a distraction to that inexperienced driver behind the wheel, and of course, unfortunately, that often times leads to injuries and death.”
To help keep your teen safe, AAA Texas wants to remind parents of the Texas Graduated Driver Licensing Laws, especially if your teen is under the age of 18 with a Provisional license.
Those restrictions include a ban on your teen driver from having more than one passenger in the car who is under the age of 21 and is not a family member.
Also, the use of any wireless communication devices while driving is strictly forbidden, and that includes hands-free devices too.
