(Council Bluffs) — The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is often referred to as the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” on roadways.
That’s why the Iowa State Patrol is among the law enforcement agencies reminding motorists of how to stay safe during the busier summer months. According to data from the Iowa Department of Transportation, 102 traffic fatalities have occurred on the state’s roadways as of Friday, up 17 from this time last year and up three from the five-year average. Trooper Ryan Devault is the public resource officer with the Iowa State Patrol’s Council Bluffs office. Devault tells KMA News that extra stress is placed on safety during the summer months, primarily due to the anticipated increase in traffic and the number of teenage drivers on the roadway.
“During that 100 days of summer, teens are three times more likely to be involved in a crash and on average, there’s about eight teens per day that are involved in crashes during that time,” said Devault. “Obviously, the number one thing is that they’re out of school, they’re doing more driving, and they’re behind the wheel more with less experience. Most of them are between 16 and 18 years old and then even some of the college-aged students.”…