Summer Brings 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Car Accidents in Modesto

 Mothers Against Drunk Driving wants to remind us that the 100 deadliest days of the year for teen drivers have begun.

Our Modesto car accident lawyers know that nine of the 10 deadliest days for teen drivers are between May and August. We know that nationally in 2009, almost 3,000 teen drivers died in car crashes and an additional 350,000 went to the hospital for injuries sustained in car crashes.

It has been reported that the first year of unsupervised driving is the most dangerous for our teen drivers. Ensuring the safety of our teens on roadways is challenging. Speeding, driver error and distractions are some of the main causes of teen crashes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that California recorded 149 crash deaths of young drivers (ages 15 to 20) in 2009 - second only to Texas, which had 241. When it came to crashes involving young drivers, California ranked first with 476 people killed. The total includes young drivers, their passengers, occupants of other vehicles and non-occupants. Alcohol was involved in 24 percent of fatal accidents involving young drivers ages 15 to 20.

A Health News Digest article reports that each year, 681,000 people are involved in car crashes with teens, resulting in more than 40,000 serious injuries nationally. In roughly 33 percent of the crashes involving teens, a death occurred in the other vehicle not driven by the teen.

"When most people think about those affected by teen driver crashes, they think of the teens behind the wheel. We must also consider the significant impact of these crashes on other members of our communities: occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road-users," says Dennis Durbin, a co-author of the report. "Whether or not we have a teen driver in our family, we should all care about this issue. This report provides a concrete way to measure the effectiveness of laws, education, and other programs in reducing teen crashes and their impact on communities."

This is the perfect time to review these 10 safe driving practices:

-Practice driving as much as possible.

-Make sure everyone in the vehicle wears a seat belt.

-Minimize the number of passengers to avoid distraction.

-Don't drink and drive.

-Obey all traffic signs, signals and markings.

-Don't speed.

-Limit driving at night.

-Put the cell phone away.

-Avoid distracting activities - don't eat, drink, adjust the radio or climate controls.

-Keep your vehicle in good shape.

-Drive with a positive attitude.