CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Officials are warning teens and their families about the potential dangers of summer driving during “the 100 deadliest days of the year.”
Summertime is meant for relaxing — but driving officials warn it is no time to relax behind the wheel.
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer season. While many kids and teens look forward to it, it is considered a dangerous time for young drivers.
8News spoke with driver Corey Riendeau, who said seeing a distracted driver on her morning commute is a common occurrence. When it comes to summer months, she said she notices more teens getting behind the wheel and not following the rules of the road.
“They seem to think they’re immortal, you know — and they have that need for speed, I guess,” Riendeau said.
Distracted driving, impaired driving and driving without a seatbelt are just some examples of dangerous driving that AAA says they often see. The organization wants to remind young drivers that careless and distracting driving can be deadly.
Riendeau said her son knows this well, as a friend of his died in a car accident.
“They [the friend] were joyriding one night and unfortunately, they were going too fast around the corner and it flipped,” Riendau said.
According to AAA officials, 141 people in Virginia were killed in crashes involving teen drivers during the summer months from 2012 to 2021. That is why officials are warning teens to follow the rules of the road, buckle up and not drive impaired.
“It’s so important to just be mindful of other people … your surroundings … and other people on the road, because you’re not the only one out there,” Riendeau said. “There are other people out there and we’d like to get home to our families.”
Parents and guardians are also asked to do what they can to promote safe driving, including starting the conversation with their teen, leading by example and practicing supervised driving.
