How to Keep Teens Safe behind the Wheel this Summer

The warmer weather has finally arrived and, with COVID-19 restrictions lifting, more and more people are heading out to enjoy delayed vacations and visits with family and friends.

Teens of driving age are especially eager to get out of the house and back on the road.

As your teens hit the road and enjoy life this summer, remember to keep safety in mind.

At South Shore Hospital, we see patients from multiple communities South of Boston—all the way to the tip of Cape Cod. We care for a large volume of trauma patients each and every day.

The numbers go up in the summer. And many of these injuries are preventable.

AAA and experts across the country remind us of the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer.” 

This period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when the number of crash fatalities involving teen drivers historically rise.

Teen driver motor vehicle accidents increase significantly during the summer because teens are out of school and driving more.

In the United States, nearly 800 teens are killed in car crashes during these months. That is a 26 percent increase compared to other months of the year. Crash data from 2013-2017 reveals major factors contributing to fatal teen crashes during the summer driving period include: Speeding, drinking alcohol, and distraction.

South Shore Health’s Injury Prevention program has tips for preventing distracted driving in teens.

Our partners at AAA will be kicking off the “100 Deadliest Days” Social Media Campaign to engage parents in keeping their teens safe all summer. You can read more about the campaign on the AAA website.

Please talk to the teens in your life about the need to be careful when driving this summer.
 

Learn more about our injury prevention program.

This blog was authored by our Trauma Program Team.