Teenagers in New York and throughout the country are at a greater risk of injury from now until the first week of September. Traffic analysts refer to the interim time as the “100 Deadliest Days,” particularly for teenage drivers. The collision risk increases at this time of year for multiple reasons.
Summer vacations begin in late May and early June for most students. Many families take vacations and travel great distances to the beach. It is a time of year when there is a lot more traffic on the road than there might be during other seasons. Not only is there more traffic in general but more teenagers are behind the wheel because there are many hours in the day when they are no longer in school.
Additional issues are key factors in the 100 Deadliest Days
Besides a traffic increase, there are also several national holidays from now until early September. Holidays tend to bring teenagers out in droves, traveling to parties, sporting events, concerts and more. Unfortunately, it is also a time of year when the number of drunk drivers on the road tends to be high; particularly for drivers who have been drinking alcohol underage.
Parents cannot supervise their teenagers around the clock
Parents try their best to protect their teenagers, and most provide instruction and guidance to help their sons and daughters improve their safety behind the wheel or when traveling as passengers in other people’s vehicles. However, a parent cannot be with his or her teenager 24/7. If another motorist runs a red light or fails to yield a right-of-way, a teenager who is driving safely might still wind up suffering severe injuries because of another person’s negligence or reckless driving behavior. New York law enables recovering accident victims to seek restitution in court against those who are deemed responsible for a collision that resulted in injury.