100 Deadliest Days: 7 Things New Drivers Need to Know

The 100 Deadliest Days run from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It's the stretch of summer when fatal crashes involving teen drivers spike higher than any other time of year.  If you're a new driver, or the parent of one, here's what makes summer more dangerous and what you can actually do about it.

Why Summer Is the Most Dangerous Time to Be a New Driver

The numbers don't lie. According to AAA's review of national crash data2025 05 The 100 Deadliest Days Teen Driver Deaths Jump In Summer Months Newsroom.aaa.com, more than 13,100 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver between 2019 and 2023. Over 30% of those deaths happened during the 100 Deadliest Days. During summer, an average of 8 people per day die in teen-involved crashes, compared to 7 per day the rest of the year. That one extra fatality per day adds up fast across three months.

It's not a coincidence that summer is deadlier. A few things happen at once that stack the risk:

• More time behind the wheel. No school schedule means more unstructured drive time. More miles driven means more exposure to risk, especially without a parent or instructor in the car.
• More passengers. Summer is peak hangout season. But the risk of a fatal crash increases 44% when a teen has just one young passenger. With two, the risk doubles. Passengers aren't just a distraction. They change how new drivers make decisions under pressure.
• More nighttime driving. Without school the next morning, late nights become routine. Teen driving deaths are disproportionately concentrated between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.Parent Teen Safe Night Driving Guide BlogParent Teen Safe Night Driving Guide Blog That's a window new drivers rarely practice in during the school year.
• More hazards on the road. Summer brings construction zones, heavier pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and out-of-town drivers unfamiliar with local roads. Roads that feel routine in May can look very different in July.

None of this means you shouldn't drive. It means you should drive with more intention than usual.

8 Ways to Drive Smarter During the 100 Deadliest Days

1. Buckle up. Every time. No exceptions.

Seatbelts are the single most reliable thing standing between you and a fatality in a crash. Nearly 6 in 10 teen passengers who die in crashes weren't wearing one. It takes two seconds and it works. Buckle up before the car moves, not after you've pulled out of the driveway.

2. Keep your speed in check.

Speeding is a factor in roughly 30% of fatal crashes involving teen driversMichigan The 100 Deadliest Days For Teen Drivers Have Begun Newsroom.acg.aaa.com. The faster you go, the less time you have to react to anything unexpected: a car braking hard, a kid on a bike, a deer crossing the road. The speedometer isn't a challenge. Stick to the limit, and remember that speed directly affects your braking distanceHow Speed Affects Braking Distance Safe Driving in ways that aren't always intuitive for new drivers.

3. Put your phone somewhere you can't reach it.

Distracted driving8 Major Driving Distractions And How Avoid Them Blog kills thousands of people every year, and phones are a major factor. If your phone is within reach, it's a distraction, even if you're not actively using it. Before you start the car, put it in the back seat, the glove box, or on Do Not Disturb. Not in your pocket. Not in the cupholder. Out of reachHow Phone Addiction Fuels Distracted Driving Blog is the only setting that actually works. If something urgent comes up, pull over.

4. Be strategic about passengers.

You can't always avoid having passengers, especially in summer. But you can set expectations before anyone gets in. Let your friends know you're keeping things calm in the car: no grabbing the wheel, no yelling, no demanding you look at something. Your car, your rules. Most friends will respect that if you're upfront about it. And if you're not sure how to be a good passenger yourselfHow Be Safe Passenger Car Blog, that's worth knowing too.

5. Stay off the road late at night when you're still new.

Nighttime driving is a skill that takes practice. New drivers who haven't logged much time after dark are at a real disadvantage. Reduced visibility, headlight glare, and fatigue all compound at once. Check out our guide to safe night driving for teens and parentsParent Teen Safe Night Driving Guide BlogParent Teen Safe Night Driving Guide Blog for practical tips on building those skills safely. While you're still early in the process, try to be home before the late-night hours kick in.

6. Don't drive impaired. Ever.

Alcohol, marijuana, prescription medications, even over-the-counter allergy pills. Any substance that affects your reaction time or judgment makes you a danger to yourself and everyone else on the road. According to NHTSADrunk Driving Risky Driving, thousands of people die in alcohol-impaired crashes every year. There is no safe amount of impairment behind the wheel. If you're in a situation where you need a ride, use a rideshare, call a parent, or call a friend with a license. No party is worth it.

7. Treat sleep like part of your driving prep.

Summer tends to wreck sleep schedules. Late nights stack up, and drowsy driving impairs your judgment in ways that feel a lot like alcoholStay Sharp Drive Safe Conquering Drowsy Driving Blog: slow reaction time, poor decision-making, and reduced awareness. Teens need 8 to 10 hours a night. If you're running on less than that, you are not at full capacity behind the wheelImportance Getting Enough Sleep While Youre Learning How Drive Blog. Prioritize sleep the same way you would if you had a test the next morning.

8. Drive more, not less.

The most effective thing a new driver can do this summer is log supervised practice hours. Experience is what builds instinct, and instinct is what keeps you safe when something unexpected happens. Every mile you drive with a licensed adult in the car makes you a more capable driver. Research backs this upEverything You Need Know About Drivers Ed Teens And Parents Blog. Formal instruction combined with supervised practice produces measurably safer drivers. Don't let the 100 Deadliest Days keep you off the road. Use them to get better.