(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of AAA East Central)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) AAA is encouraging motorists to practice safer driving habits during the summer travel season as part of its “100 Days of Safe Driving” campaign, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is one of the busiest and most dangerous on U.S. roads, according to AAA’s analysis of national crash data.

AAA said more than 30% of fatal crashes involving teen drivers and nearly one-third of all impaired-driving fatalities occur during the summer travel months.

The organization said the campaign is intended to promote safer driving behaviors as more teens gain driving independence and families travel for vacations and holiday events.

According to a release from AAA East Central, AAA encourages parents to do these things in preparation for the dangerous summer driving period:

• Discuss with teens early and often the dangers of risky driving situations, such as speeding and nighttime driving.
• Discuss with teens the dangers and consequences of distracted driving (i.e., texting, having multiple people in the car, etc.)
• Stress the importance of buckling up. According to NHTSA, more than 50 percent of teen drivers who died in 2020 were not wearing seat belts.
• Teach by example and minimize any risky behavior when behind the wheel.
• Make a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers. Consider setting driving limits that are stronger than state laws and enforce those limits.