teen driver accidents, Wisconsin Personal Injury AttorneyDriving in the summer should be safer than driving in the winter due to the longer daylight hours, roads free from ice and snow, and increased visibility. However, while accidents in general may decrease, the risk for teen drivers on the road substantially increases during the summer months. In fact, the period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day has widely been deemed the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers.

Risk Factors during the Summer

Accidents for teen drivers increase over the summer for several reasons.

  • More Free Time: With school out for the summer, most teens have little to do and, therefore, spend more time driving. Additionally, because parents often have to work, teens have more freedom to drive themselves places during the summer.

  • Texting and Driving: Teens have a higher rate of texting and driving than any other age group and may be especially likely to text and drive during the summer as they make plans with their friends.

  • Driver Inexperience: Anytime an inexperienced driver gets behind the wheel, there is a high risk for accidents. Teens are relatively inexperienced and may not know how to handle emergency situations on the road or may not realize the importance of careful driving.

  • Alcohol Use: Teens have started using alcohol at younger ages in recent years and many are getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. Teens may drink and drive more often because they do not want to admit to a parent or sober driver that they have been drinking. Teens may especially drink during the summer due to a decrease in parental supervision and increase in parties and other events.

  • Holidays: Holidays always present a higher risk of DUI accidents and this is no different for teen drivers.

Teens are not the only ones at risk of serious injury in summer accidents, however. The AAA Foundation has found that an estimated 63 percent of victims killed or injured by teen drivers were not the teen drivers themselves. Other victims included passengers in the teens’ vehicles, driver and passengers in other vehicles, and pedestrians and bicyclists.

If you have suffered an injury, please call a Wisconsin attorney for help.

No matter how careful you are when driving your own vehicle, you are always at risk of suffering serious injury due to the actions of others on the road, especially inexperienced and negligent teen drivers during the summer months. Parents of teenagers under the age of 18 who sponsor their teen’s driver’s license are legally responsible for any injuries or damages caused by the child’s negligence.

Though many accident victims are primarily focused on physical recovery, you should also not delay in contacting an experienced Appleton auto accident attorney or Green Bay accident attorney to discuss how you can financially recover, as well. At the [[title]], we help all types of accident victims receive full and fair compensation for their losses. We have offices in Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green Bay, so please call for a free consultation at 920-739-7366 today.