Six Arizona teenagers were injured recently in a single-vehicle rollover crash. According to the Arizona Daily Star, the collision occurred around 10:50 p.m. when the young driver lost control of his vehicle. Alcohol or drugs may have been a factor, although the crash is still under investigation. The teens were driving home from a high school graduation party. Unfortunately, graduation and prom season kick off the highest-risk time of the year for teen accidents.

During the summer months, Americans drive much more than they do in the winter. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, people in the U.S. drove more than 780 billion miles from the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Unfortunately, this period has become known as the 100 Deadliest Days. Teen drivers are at the biggest risk, and student accidents account for a large percentage of the increased number of fatalities in the summer. Israel & Gerity can help victims involved in car accidents and can assist them in obtaining compensation for losses from the driver responsible.

The 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers

CNN reported on the 100 Deadliest Days, indicating that almost 1,000 people lost their lives in crashes involving teen drivers in the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2012. More than 550 of the people killed were teenagers.

Teenagers are especially vulnerable during the summer for many different reasons. Since they are not in school, they have much more time to spend driving around, and a lot of that time is unsupervised because their parents are working. Teens may be allowed to stay out later during the summer months since they don’t have to get up to go school, which means more young people are out on the roads at night time. Furthermore, many young people drive recreationally and may be on unfamiliar roads, which can increase the risk of a collision.

One of the biggest reasons for the high death toll, however, is that teenagers are more likely to drive around with their friends during the summer. Having passengers in the car with them is one of the riskiest things that young people can do, with studies showing that having a passenger in the car increases the chance of a fatality by as much as 44 percent.

Many parents know about dangers like texting and driving or drunk driving, and they spend lots of time talking to their children about these risks. While that is great, and involved parents can reduce the chances of an accident, parents often underestimate the risks that go along with teens having multiple passengers, like the six young Arizona teens recently injured.

It is important for parents to set clear rules for how many young people can be in a car at the same time. Doing this could help to save lives. The National Safety Council advises parents to create a teen/parent driving contract and have their children sign it so that the rules are clear about how many people can be in the car at a time as well as about what other behaviors are forbidden behind the wheel. Spending at least 30 minutes each week driving with your kids is also smart and can help reduce the risk of crashes, even once your children have their license.

Contact a Phoenix accident attorney at Israel & Gerity after your accident. Call 888-900-3667 or visit https://www.ig-law.com to schedule your free consultation.