‘100 Deadliest Days’ for teenage drivers begins

A 17-year-old from Kennesaw was on his way to the gym. Four Henry County teens had just left their school. A Johns Creeks high school senior was almost back home.

In recent days, several metro Atlanta teenagers have lost their lives in vehicle crashes. Now that school is out, experts warn that the youngest drivers on the roads are likely to be involved in even more crashes.

Across the country, more than 30% of deaths involving teenage drivers happen during the “100 Deadliest Days” between Memorial Day to Labor Day, according to the American Automobile Association.

“This summer could prove to be even more dangerous for teen drivers as the 100 Deadliest Days coincides with what is expected to be a bus- ier summer driving season than last year,” Montrae Wait- ers, AAA spokeswoman, said in a statement.

According to the Atlan- ta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vehi- cle crashes are the second leading cause of death for teenagers in the U.S. Every day, an average of seven teens are killed in crashes, CDC data shows.

In Georgia, 91 people on average are killed each year in crashes involving teenage drivers, according to AAA.

The recent Henry crash involved just one vehicle. Kenderrias Do d son, 16, Katrina Owens, 15, Jordan Brown, 15, and Kendarius Jackson, 16, all died in the crash. In May, 17-year-old Timothy Yakovlev was killed in a single-vehicle crash just three weeks before graduating from Northview High School in Johns Creek.

With extra planning and education, parents can help keep kids safer behind the wheel, according to experts.

“Teens’ inexperience behind the wheel makes them more susceptible to dangerous driving behaviors — like speeding, distracted driving and driving while drowsy,” Waiters said.