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Beware 100 deadliest days for teen drivers

Posted at 6:48 PM, Jun 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-01 18:48:06-04

CINCINNATI - The Memorial Day weekend was the start of the 100 deadliest days for teenage drivers.

Summer months are especially dangerous for new drivers who have grown up with electronic devices,  says Mike Belcuore of AAA Driving School.

"We're starting to see a big increase in the number of teens that are actually texting and driving," Belcuore says.

He says those who are used to talking with their thumbs but are still fresh behind the wheel may be blind to how badly the two mix.

"Teens don't really think about how long it takes to read a text," Belcuore says.

The average is three to six seconds. And just one second at freeway speeds takes a car 88 feet.

"If I blindfold you and ask you to drive the length of a football field, would you do it? That's basically what they're doing."

Belcuore says parents need to have the conversation.

"The more the parents can be involved and talk to their teens about their driving, the more aware their teens are going to be about their driving," he says.

There are more than 3,000 deaths in the country annually from distracted driving.