'100 Deadliest Days Of Summer' Underway As Teen Crashes Continue On Upward Trend, AAA Says
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Nearly 3,500 people have been killed nationwide in the past five years during the "100 deadliest days of summer" - the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. According to AAA, crashes involving teen drivers are on an upward trend locally.
In Pennsylvania, there have been almost 32,000 crashes involving drivers ages 16-17 over a five-year period, according to statistics from PennDOT. That's an average of 6,370 crashes per year.
PennDOT – Crashes Involving a 16-17 Year Old Driver – Five-Year Trend (2013-2017)
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Pennsylvania TOTAL | 6,419 | 5,763 | 6,273 | 6,671 | 6,727 |
| Bucks County | 403 | 372 | 397 | 410 | 432 |
| Chester County | 340 | 320 | 365 | 356 | 365 |
| Delaware County | 189 | 177 | 209 | 218 | 197 |
| Montgomery County | 415 | 376 | 396 | 407 | 499 |
| Philadelphia County | 160 | 104 | 111 | 155 | 138 |
| Five County TOTAL | 1,507 | 1,349 | 1,478 | 1,546 | 1,631 |
AAA says the main contributing factors of crashes involving teen drivers are drinking and driving, speeding, and distractions like reading or sending text messages.
Experts recommend parents talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior behind the wheel.
"Crash data shows that teens are a vulnerable driver group with a higher probability of being involved in crashes," said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "And while teens may make mistakes when first learning to drive, it is important to continue educating them about safety behind the wheel so they avoid the reckless behaviors that put themselves and others at risk on the road."