Parents in Wisconsin with newly licensed teens should be concerned when summer break rolls around because this coincides with what are called the 100 deadliest days: that is, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It’s during this time that the number of teen driving crash fatalities tends to rise.

The number of such fatalities during the 100 deadliest days came to more than 8,300 from 2008 to 2018, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. It means that an average of seven people died for each day of summer in that 11-year period.

Parents can help keep their teens safe during this time by being clear about the dangers of certain behaviors behind the wheel, such as using a phone, speeding and driving while drowsy. Parents can consult the results of AAA’s Traffic Safety Culture Index, in which 72% of respondents aged 16 to 18 admitted to some form of negligent driving in the past 30 days. Of these, 47% admitted to speeding in residential areas, 35% to texting and 32% to running red lights.

Teens will be more likely to take their parents’ advice seriously if parents themselves set a good example as drivers. Parents can also consider coaching their teens during practice driving sessions. AAA recommends doing this for a minimum of 50 hours.

Many motor vehicle accidents are the result of negligence, or the failure to uphold the duty of care to other road users. Those who were injured and no more than 50% to blame for the crash may be eligible for damages according to this state’s modified comparative negligence law. Even if they are eligible, though, this does not make the filing process any easier, so victims may want to hire an attorney for help.