For Teen Drivers, Summer Is the Deadliest Season

June 14--If anyone knows how dangerous driving can be for teenagers, it's Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Kim Montes.

That's why Montes, the agency's spokeswoman for the Central Florida region, has laid down the law for her 16-year-old son: Wear your seat belt. Don't speed. Slow down in the rain.

Montes and other parents have good reason to worry, especially at this time of year.

The AAA auto club says the 100 days from Memorial Day to Labor Day are the deadliest for teenage drivers and their teen passengers. It's when schedules are looser; trips involve friends and fun rather than school and structured activities; and curfews may be less strict.

There are an average of 261 teen traffic-crash deaths nationwide during each summer month compared with 207 at other times -- an increase of 26 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Place one inexperienced teenager behind the wheel, add a few young passengers and you have a recipe for potential disaster, said John Pecchio, a AAA traffic-safety manager.

"One bad mistake can ruin their lives for the rest of their lives," Pecchio said. "Hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and, most importantly, mind on the task of driving."

A tragic example of such a mistake happened in Central Florida in 2012.

A 17-year-old driver killed a Valencia College English professor and injured her husband, a former pastor, near their home in southwest Orange County that July. Court records show the driver became distracted for a reason that troopers never determined and was traveling at twice the 30 mph speed limit when his van slammed into the couple's car.

The driver pleaded no contest to two counts of reckless driving and was sentenced in January to five years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. His attorney would not allow him to be interviewed while he is on probation.

Wendy Grant knows the heartache a teenage driver's mistake can cause. Her 17-year-old daughter, Laura, was killed along with Laura's 19-year-old boyfriend, Eddie Culberhouse, when their sport utility vehicle with four other teens inside crashed in 2011 on the way to New Smyrna Beach. Laura, who was driving, veered right, lost control and the vehicle flipped, Montes said.

The crash happened on a Sunday in February, but Laura's mother said she's aware of the increased summertime danger teen drivers face, and she's pleased that the AAA campaign is raising awareness.

Young drivers don't have the maturity to understand the gravity of even a momentary lapse in judgment, Grant said. The key, experts say, is for parents to closely monitor their children's driving.

"I cannot stress enough for parents to get engaged with their children," Grant said. "Get them some formal instruction."

Organizations such as the Florida Safety Council and Florida Virtual School provide driver training for young drivers.

"Don't let what is the best time of your life turn into your worst nightmare," said Glenn Victor, a Florida Safety Council spokesman.

Families also can establish their own rules and consequences for breaking them. One way is a AAA parent-teen driving agreement (teendriving.aaa.com). Obeying traffic laws, letting parents know where they are going and never riding with someone who has been drinking are among the suggested guidelines.

"It sets realistic expectations, and it establishes boundaries for teen drivers before they get behind the wheel," Pecchio said.

Some of the most persuasive advice comes from youths who have firsthand experience with the devastation of a serious crash.

Alisa Pelot, now 21, was among the four young people who survived the rollover that killed Laura Grant and Eddie Culberhouse. She suffered a shattered pelvis and could not walk for two months.

Pelot, along with Wendy Grant and Laura's sister, Ali, now 18, have become advocates for teen-driver safety in general and seat-belt use in particular, primarily through AlwaysWearYourSeatbelt.org.

"You really have to just pay attention to other people on the road, not just what you're doing," said Pelot, a Florida State University student. "Don't let people distract you."

Florida law recognizes the limits of younger motorists, whose skills are still developing. It prohibits 16-year-olds from driving between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. and imposes a 1 a.m.-to-5 a.m. driving ban for 17-year-old drivers.

But rules -- and common sense -- can go out the window when teenagers get together. The more teen passengers, the greater the risk, experts say.

In addition, nearly 70 percent of teenagers admitted driving while talking on a cellphone in the past month, an AAA survey showed. More than 50 percent said they had read a text message or email while driving.

"I think some people think, 'Nothing's going to happen to me' or 'I'm not going to get into an accident," said Makenzie Mergarejo, 15, a Boone High School student.

sjacobson@tribune.com or 407-540-5981

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