Car crashes on Connecticut roads increase between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which has become known as the 100 deadliest days for drivers.
Garrett Eucalitto is the state’s transportation commissioner. He said teen drivers are particularly affected.
“Inexperience, overconfidence and distraction are a dangerous mix, and every summer, consequences are fatal,” Eucalitto said. “Between 2020 and 2023, 23 teen drivers lost their lives on our roads. That’s 23 futures cut short and 23 families forever changed. But this isn’t just a teen problem, it's really a public safety and a public health crisis.”
Grace Johnson, a Madison student, survived a teen car crash.
“There were five of us in the car, and the music was blasting. We were going around a sharp turn. We veered off the road, jumped a rock wall, and slammed into a tree, knocking down a power line. It was terrifying and chaotic, and I don’t even remember exactly what I hit my head on,” Johnson said. “That experience opened my eyes. Making safe choices while driving is not just about following the rules; it’s about protecting your life and the lives of everyone around you.”
An average of 105 people die on Connecticut’s roads every summer. That’s a third of the state’s annual traffic fatalities in just three months.
