While the calendar start of summer is nearly two months away, the summer season is around the corner. Summer vacations and time off from school may take small bites out of morning commutes, but traffic jams and incidents will not decrease overall. Summer escapes from town, concerts, construction, afternoon pop-up storms and idle-handed teens are among the factors for which all commuters will have to account.
The increase of the thermometer is also a good reminder to adjust one’s “safety filter” behind the wheel.
Deadly teen driving peaks in summer
AAA often designates the three months between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the “100 Deadliest Days” — where teens with more time on their hands are driving and crashing more often. Crashes are the leading killer of teenagers, and these tragedies will not be called “accidents” in this space. They are completely preventable and are largely a result of dangerous or negligent behavior.
A recent column in this space covered the scourge of distracted driving and how unseriously people take the heavy act of wheeling a vehicle. Teens are as, if not more, addicted to their phones as anyone. And they follow the bad examples their parents show when checking their texts while driving.
We also recently talked about how many people do not check the treads on their tires and the danger that causes. Drivers young and old need to make sure they have proper treads on their tires.
And parents should heavily consider enrolling their teen drivers in a driving school for far more reasons than an insurance discount.
B.R.A.K.E.S. just held a hands-on session at Atlanta Motor Speedway and does these two-day, behind-the-wheel courses all over the country. Parents can learn more at PutOnTheBrakes.org. Drag racer Doug Herbert helped found this organization after losing both of his sons in a crash. His tragedy in 2008 has led to more than 150,000 teens and parents trained.
AAA also offers a driving school, as does Tire Rack. Parents spend oodles of dollars on travel sports and vacations. Carving out the budget and time for critical driving skills for teenagers should top all of that.
Construction zones abound in summer months
Last week was National Work Zone Awareness Week. This annual mid-April push reminds drivers of just how dangerous work zones are — both to drivers and the workers.
In 2022, approximately 96,000 work-zone crashes injured nearly 37,000 people and killed almost 900. Of those killed in 2022, 31 were the workers themselves, unprotected by the steel, seats and belts of vehicles.
As the weather gets better, the DOT schedules more projects.
Construction zones throw more variables and obstacles for which drivers have to adjust: lane shifts, lane closures, narrower lanes and added delays. Attentive driving is important on every stretch, but even more so in construction zones with exposed workers and different traffic patterns.
Summer storms topple the norms
The hot, humid Georgia summer climate roils the atmosphere and often unleashes some nasty storms — particularly during PM rush hour.
The above tire-quality reminder will serve drivers well when conditions deteriorate. People should also make sure their headlights and windshield wipers are up to snuff, something easily checked at regular oil changes.
And when storms hit, people need to slow down, turn on their headlights and wipers and not turn on their hazards. If conditions are too gnarly, find a safe place to pull over. Finding a parking lot is better than the shoulder of the road.
When these storms conclude, they often leave standing water, which can be almost blinding in the immediate sunshine that follows these storms.
Summer may still seem far off, but colleges are soon out, with K-12 schools close behind. Safe driving and preparation are key in saving precious lives.
Doug Turnbull has covered Atlanta traffic for over 20 years and written “Gridlock Guy” since 2017. Doug also co-hosts the “Five to Go Podcast,” a weekly deep dive on stories in motorsports. Contact him at fireballturnbull@gmail.com.
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