The 100 Deadliest Days of summer are winding down for teen drivers as summer comes to a close but New York car accident attorneys want to remind drivers that August is still considered the deadliest month of the year for all motorists.
We recently posted on our New York Injury Lawyer Blog that August can be deadly for roadway users, especially on Friday and Saturday or during late afternoon and evening hours. Teens and other motorists need to use caution this time of year in order to avoid a car accident in Manhattan, Queens or elsewhere in the state.
A fatal teen car accident in nearby New Jersey is a good reminder to young drivers in New York that riding with too many passengers in the vehicle can be a distraction and should be avoided whenever possible. The New York Times reports that a sport utility vehicle carrying 8 teenage teammates rolled several times on the Garden State Parkway before crashing. The single vehicle accident killed four teens between the ages of 15 and 17 while the other four teenagers were injured in the SUV meant for 7 passengers. The accident is still under investigation.
WGRZ reports of another crash in Hamburg, NY that injured 8 people when two vehicles collided head-on after a teen driver failed to yield the right of way when making a left hand turn. Two of the eight injured in the accident were in serious conditon.
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles reports 2,165 teens were injured in New York car accidents in 2009.
August is a dangerous month because families are trying to squeeze in one last summer getaway and school is resuming, which makes traffic congestion all the more dangerous.
AAA offers these tips to parents with teen drivers:
-Limit your child’s driving during the first year.
-Always set a good example for your teen driver and spend as much time training them as possible. The more supervised experience they gain the better off they will be.
-Set strict rules by prohibiting your teen from riding in a vehicle.
-Sign an agreement with your teen for what is expected, as well as what punishment will be enforced when rules are broken or what rewards will be granted when rules are followed.
-You and your teen should familiarize yourself with New York’s Graduated Driver’s License Laws.
