TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Nearly one-third of all impaired-driving fatalities happen between Memorial Day and Labor Day, prompting East Texas safety advocates to launch a campaign targeting the summer\u2019s deadliest period for teen drivers.<\/p>\n
Bishop Gorman senior Sylvie Geer took a defensive driving course where she heard firsthand accounts from crash victims and studied real crash data. The experience earned her the Linda Thomas Memorial Safe Driving Scholarship and inspired her to pursue civil engineering in the fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t realize that even that split second of being distracted can have consequences that impact the rest of their lives,\u201d Geer said.<\/p>\n
Summer driving risks<\/p>\n
About 30 percent of all teen driver deaths happen between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Kathy Davidson with Mothers Against Drunk Driving is part of Texas\u2019s Safe Summer campaign, targeting the deadliest holidays for teen drivers: Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, during the summer, teens are less supervised and they have more freedom. And the data shows us that those crashes do go up. We call it the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer,\u201d Davidson said.<\/p>\n
AAA reports an average of eight people are killed every day in teen-involved crashes during the summer, compared to seven the rest of the year. Distractions, speeding, impaired driving and not wearing seatbelts remain the leading factors in deadly teen crashes.<\/p>\n
Teen drivers are nearly three times more likely than drivers 20 and older to be killed in a crash.<\/p>\n
Prevention through conversation<\/p>\n
Davidson said parents can make a difference but it takes more than one conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust having that conversation where it\u2019s not judgmental. And then don\u2019t just do it one time,\u201d Davidson said.<\/p>\n
Geer is now sharing what she learned with other young drivers in East Texas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know when we\u2019ll be in an accident or impacted by safe or distracted driving. And it\u2019s very important to recognize the impacts that other drivers will have on us when we\u2019re on the road,\u201d Geer said.<\/p>\n
Advocates say planning ahead, whether that means designating a driver or using a ride share, can prevent tragedies before they happen.<\/p>\n