FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – As pandemic restrictions continue to ease, many people will begin to hit the roads for vacations. More people on the roads means a greater risk for fatal accidents.
A recent study by the National Safety Council found that in 2020 fatal vehicle accidents were up from 39,107 accidents to 42,060 accidents nationwide with 5,213 of the accidents involving teen drivers.
“West Virginia ranks sixteenth for number of teen fatalities per licensed teen drivers in the US,” said Bumper.com Consumer Advocate Kerry Sherin. “For summer months, West Virginia scores a little bit better. They scored number thirty-two overall for summer teen fatalities. Now that’s not to discount the fact that fatalities aren’t happening during summer months, August is actually the most deadly month for teen drivers in West Virginia.”
To keep you and your family safe there are measures you can take such as following state laws especially when it comes to teen drivers. That means not using a cell phone, limiting the number of inexperienced people in the vehicle, avoiding drunk driving, and always wearing a seat belt.
“There is going to be more and more people on the road and there’s maybe people that haven’t been driving in the past year that don’t even remember certain things,” Sherin said. “So it’s going to be important to stay aware, stay educated, and continue following the state guidelines and for then of course for parents setting the good example.”
Aside from parents setting good examples, you can also sign your teen driver up for drivers training courses.
For more summer driving safety information visit the AAA website.
To view the entire summer driving study visit Bumper’s website.
