Teen drivers a concern in the upcoming summer months

DURHAM, N.C. — As school wraps up for the year, we’re marking the beginning of a potential somber season. It's the "100 Deadliest Days of Summer" for teen drivers.

According to AAA, nationwide, over 30% of deaths involving teen drivers happen between Memorial Day and Labor Day. They said as school lets out for summer, inexperienced teen drivers will have more time to spend on the road, which means more time driving, driving at night and potentially engaging in risky behaviors like speeding and texting.

One high school senior who just graduated, Samuel Scarborough, said while he is excited to enjoy his summer, he knows it can be a dangerous time of year for young drivers. He said driving can be a relaxing activity for him, but he feels like he needs to be cautious.

"With people being distracted on the roads, whether it's texting or driving under the influence of some type of controlled substance that usually impairs a driver's ability to be mindful of their surroundings," Scarborough said. "Usually when I drive, I usually put my phone in my pocket or in the glove compartment."

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said in 2021, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, which is the most recent stats available, there were over 13,000 crashes involving drivers ages 15-19. Sadly, 29 teens died and over 2,600 were injured in those crashes.

"It definitely makes me feel very disheartened," Scarborough said.

Scarborough said as he looked at the data, it is striking and sometimes makes him want to drive less. But it is also a reminder that these aren't just numbers he's seeing on a screen.

"These are thousands of people that were not allowed to live the rest of their lives, these are thousands of people around my age that were going through similar experiences, going through high school, going on first dates, doing, you know, very fun things and just seeing these numbers, just reminds me that tomorrow is not promised for everyone," Scarborough said.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said in 2021 the state experienced more teenage drivers killed during the Memorial Day to Labor Day time period than in any of the previous years. In 2020, 26 teens died in crashes, there were 24 in 2019 and in 2018, there were 18.