Teenage Auto Accidents, Drunk Driving Accidents Increase During Summer Months

    NORFOLK, VA, July 13, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- June, July and August are the months with the highest number of teen drivers killed in car accidents. The increased risk level has led groups like the National Safety Council to label the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day as the "100 deadly days of summer."

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 20. Some of the major causes of these fatal accidents include speeding, distracted driving and drunken driving. The number-one cause of injury and death in collisions involving this age group is failure to wear a seatbelt.

"It's a terrible tragedy when a young person dies in a motor vehicle collision, especially when the cause is preventable," said Paul Hernandez, an attorney with Virginia personal injury law firm Kalfus & Nachman. "Doing something as simple as putting on a seatbelt or putting down the phone can make the difference between life and serious injury or death."

In addition to drinking, distractions and driving too fast, another major risk factor for crashes involving young people is the presence of friends of the same age.

"That's why we limit the amount of kids that are allowed in a teenager's motor vehicle before 18 at different times during the day," Hernandez said during a recent appearance on "The Hampton Roads Show" on WAVY-TV. "We know the more kids you pile in a car with a teenage driver, the higher the risk is going to be of injury or death."

Teenagers are not the only ones who face an increased risk of auto accident injury during the summer months. The Fourth of July holiday sees a significant rise in drunken driving crashes. From 2009 to 2013, 750 people died in collisions involving a driver whose blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit, according to data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These deaths made up nearly 40 percent of the total traffic accident fatalities that occurred during the same five years.

"Driving sober is another way we can teach our children to behave responsibly behind the wheel, just like buckling up or avoiding distractions while driving," Hernandez said. "We as parents need to be the role models for our kids."

About Kalfus & Nachman

The law firm of Kalfus & Nachman has been representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina since 1979. In addition to more than 35 years of litigation experience, the firm has become a voice in the community to end drunken and distracted driving. The Kalfus & Nachman online app gives users an interactive suite of resources they can use in the event of an accident. To learn more about the firm, please visit www.kalfusnachman.com

# # #