Teen troubles

October remains the most dangerous month of the year for teen driver crashes nationally, according to State Farm.

According to claims data spanning the last seven years, the highest number of injury or collision claims filed by 16- and 17-year old drivers continues to hit a high point in October, spiking by about 15% when compared to other months of the year.

State Farm evaluated its extensive claims database from 2003-2009, and in every year, October continues to register the most claims across the United States and portions of Canada.

"Car crashes remain the number one killer of teens and October continues to be our single biggest battleground month," Laurette Stiles, vice president of Strategic Resources at State Farm. "While promoting teen driver safety requires a year-round commitment, the fall time frame is critically important. As teens return to school, attend homecoming, and begin managing very busy schedules, we want them to keep safe driving practices at the top of their minds because our data shows this is one of the most dangerous times of the year for teens to be on the road."

Harris Interactive conducted the State Farm survey within the United States on July 22-26, among 697 U.S. 14- to 17-year-olds, including 694 who intend to have or already have a driver’s license.

OTHER FINDINGS
• About 70% of states show October as being among its top three months for teen accident claims.

• A State Farm survey shows 70% of new drivers are nervous about being in a crash or hurting someone, yet 57% say they text while driving.

• When teens were asked why their peers text while driving even though they know it is dangerous, the general response is that staying connected is more important than ever to Generation Y.

• According to the survey, those teens whose parents frequently talked with them about safe driving practices have the clearest understanding of what represents risky driving behavior.