Summer, When The Living is Easy and Driving Can Be Deadly

Police are issuing their annual warning about dangerous driving habits before the unofficial start of summer this weekend.

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered the deadliest for teen drivers. AAA uses the phrase 100 Deadliest Days to bring awareness to the problem.

Trooper Robert Gerard, a public information officer with the New York State Police, said speeding and distracted driving are the top two factors in crashes. Not only for teens, but drivers of all ages.

“Whether you’re driving through villages and towns or state roads and highways slow down and obey the speed limit,” he said. “No one wants to explain a speeding ticket to their parents, and no parents want to find us at their door explaining that their child was injured or killed in a crash.”

In addition to putting smartphones away to avoid distractions behind the wheel, Gerard emphasized that impaired driving isn’t just about alcohol.

“Drugs and some prescription medications can affect your ability to drive just as much as alcohol can,” he said.

Nationally, an average of eight people were killed in motor vehicle crashes every day between Memorial Day and Labor Day from 2019 to 2023.

Story by Beth Adams/WXXI/New York Public News Network

Image Credit: National Safety Council