(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of AAA East Central)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to a release from AAA East Central, 13,135 people across the country were killed in a crash involving a teen driver between 2019-2023. More than three tenths of those people were killed between Memorial Day and Labor Day during the one-hundred days that are deadliest in that category in that span. That statistic is according to a AAA review of crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to that same release from AAA East Central, here are some tips that parents should do to help teens stay safe on the road:

• 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.