June, July and August are the three most dangerous months for teen drivers, this according to the We Save Lives campaign.
Sgt. Matt Ames, Public Information Officer for the Indiana State Police wants student drivers to take their time on the roadways.
“They’re young inexperienced and they need to slow down and build their confidence up,” he said. “And know exactly what the limitations are for them as a driver,”
According to WSL, the fatal crash rate goes up by 43 percent during these ‘100 deadliest days’.
“Driving a vehicle is a great responsibility,” said Ames. “People need to realize that speeding is what kills most of the drivers out here.”
Evan Pound is excited to get behind the wheel.
But he is nervous to share the road with more experienced drivers.
“It’s very scary that they could just run right into me,” he said. “But you have to be a defensive driver too.”
At the Simmons Driving School in Terre Haute, instructor Kimberly Van Winkle teaches her students how to be vigilant on the road.
“It’s not just get in and go,” she said. “They need to also learn to watch everything around them. Watch whats going on, watch other people.”
Pound says he is aware of distracted drivers, and because of them he refuses to use his phone behind the wheel.
“I’m driving with my parents, and just sitting next to them I’m always calling out ‘oh that person is on their phone’ you know,” he said. “I can see it all over and it’s not good.”
60 percent of teen crashes are caused by distracted driving, and Ames says he has seen to many of these accidents.
“As a trooper you have to go and make notification to the family,” he said. “And just all the emotion you through yourself as a police officer, but also dealing with the family trying to explain to them exactly what happened.”
260 teens are killed every year during the ‘100 deadliest days’, and Ames wants teens to take caution this season, and every season.
“It’s a privilege to drive out here on the roadways It’s not a right for them,” he said. “And they need to understand the ramifications that could happen to them.”
