Teenagers nearly 4 times more likely to die in a car crash than by COVID-19 this summer

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Teen driving. It’s nearly four-times deadlier than COVID-19 for teenagers. The summer months being the most dangerous of all, with a 21 percent spike in teen traffic deaths.

So a virtual campaign has been created, aimed at helping young drivers make life-saving decisions.

Six teens between the ages of 16 and 19 die every day from car crashes, and this virtual program is designed to remind young people that when you’re behind the wheel, distractions by your friends, your phone, or your radio could get you killed.

Right now we’re in what is considered the 100 deadliest days for teenage drivers.

Michelle Anderson is the Director of Operations for the National Road Safety Foundation, “From the Memorial Day holiday until Labor Day weekend that’s when the death toll spikes about 21 percent. Because teens are out of school, they’re on the roads more, and we have more daylight.”

Those contributing factors mean an estimated 1100 to 1600 young people will die on our roads, as compared to estimates that fewer than 400 could lose their life to COVID-19.

Anderson says the National Road Safety Foundation is doing a virtual campaign because young people love social media. It will last for 100 days, advising teens on how to stay safe behind the wheel.

“We talk about everything from speeding to distractions to how to select a driving school, blind spots, merging while getting on the highway, these are all helpful tips for them,” Anderson said.

The tips are helpful because they are all focused on driving safety and being responsible. Because the biggest problem for teen drivers isn’t just distractions by their friends, the cell phone or radio...

“It is inexperience, it is very much inexperience and it’s the cousin of distraction,” Anderson said.

.And it’s inexperience that can lead to panic in an emergency.

You can find out more by looking up teen driving tips at The Safest Summer Ever.

SADD, which stands for Students Against Destructive Decisions has also teamed up for the program that runs through Labor Day.

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