Across the nation, more than 13,000 people have been killed in a crash involving a teenage driver from 2019-2023. More than 30% of those deaths occurred during the ‘100 Deadliest Days’ between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to a AAA review of crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). On average, eight people are killed per day in teen-involved driving crashes in the summer, compared to seven per day during the rest of the year.
In 2023, the most recent year of complete crash data, nearly 2,900 people nationwide were killed in crashes involving a teenage driver. A third of those deaths, 860, happened during the 100 Deadliest Days.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analysis of NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data of deadly crashes involving drivers ages 15-18 in Kansas shows a tragic impact in the summer months.
From 2012-2021, there were 105 people killed in crashes in Kansas involving a teenage driver from Memorial Day to Labor Day (34% of the yearly total). That's an average of 11 fatal victims per year in that same time period.
“Summer months are particularly dangerous as more young drivers hit the road during school breaks with many logging more unsupervised driving time than usual,” said Jake Nelson, Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research at AAA. “We encourage families to take advantage of AAA resources like our driver education classes and parent-teen safe driving agreements to help set clear expectations for driving privileges.”
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also has new research highlighting the life-saving potential of smartphone-blocking technology. Parents chould encourage teens to use “do not disturb” features on their phones to silence distractions while driving.