NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia DMV data for Hampton Roads shows about half of the fatal and non-fatal accidents involving teens took place between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Running in that same time, AAA's "100 deadliest days" program is meant to keep young drivers safe.
"For crashes where a teen driver was involved in 2021, there were nineteen, and from Memorial Day to Labor Day 2021, out of those, out of those 19 that occurred the whole year, eight of those," AAA Spokesperson Ryan Adcock said.
Adcock says everyone needs to be more aware during this period.
"In the past, we have seen the fatalities of teen drivers rise during those 100 days, hence 100 deadliest days... We have to make sure that we're giving each other grace and just keeping our cool while we're out there driving, as well as making sure that we are not speeding and driving."
One driver 13News Now spoke with, Jenny Brooks, says slowing down was something she's learned over the years. Her own experiences on the road have shaped how she drives now
"I was once 16 and wanted to drive as fast as I could. I got in an accident when I was 17, or 18 because I was nervous about what I was pulling, I was trying to cross four lanes of traffic," Brooks said.
Thankfully, alive to see the day, Brooks has a message to those on the road.
"It really is nothing is more important than me just staying alive," Brooks said.
DMV data from 2023 shows deadly teen driving accidents are trending downward but AAA says more work can be done.
Tammy McGee can never forget the night her son died in October 2019. Her son Conner Guido was 16 and one of three Tabb High School students killed in a car crash after leaving homecoming.
"This teenager pulled out of the parking lot hit 75 miles an hour in the 35 in less than a mile lost control of the car ran off the road hit a tree flipped the car and killed all three of them instantly," McGee said.
She's launched a foundation, the Conner Gweedo Memorial Foundation, and an anonymous tip hotline for reporting instances of unsafe driving, illegal activities and bullying.
Now she's a partner in a coalition with the National Road Safety Foundation to try and rebrand it as the “100 Safest Days of Summer.” She says the program is to educate teens and their parents with tips and tricks to keep folks safe.
"Yes, it's summer. We want you to have fun, but we need you to be safe. Buckle up. Number one thing, click it or ticket. we need to make sure teens are buckled up," McGee said.