School’s out for the summer!
Summer is a time for kicking back and having fun and taking family vacations, but for teens, it can be a deadly time of year. We Saves Lives reminds us we are entering the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer”.
Summer is the time for parents to pull out all the stops to make sure their teens arrive alive and come home safe. Teach them to say no to overcrowded cars, and yes to seatbelts. Put cell phones in the trunk until you reach your destination. Most importantly, do not drink and drive, or accept a ride from someone who is impaired. True courage is saying no to an unnecessary risk. Drunk or drugged driving can rob you of your chances for college as well as your freedom. Encourage your kids to feel safe calling you and confiding in you if they are in a bad situation, or unsure of what to do. It is better to be punished for underage drinking than to die in a crash, or to take an innocent life.
Drunk driving isn’t the only danger. Make sure they understand the importance of obeying the speed limit, and what to do in the event of a flat or breakdown. Many motorists have been injured while stopped on the side of the road. Perhaps most importantly, lead by example. When you are driving with your teen, watch your speed, put the phone away and never drive impaired or distracted.
We Save Lives shows us these frightening statistics:
- Motor Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens.
- Teens have the highest crash rate of any age group.
- An average 260 teens are killed in car crashes each month during the summer, an increase of 26% compared with the other months of the year.
- 60% of teen crashes today are caused by distracted driving.
- Surprisingly, the top distraction for teens is other passengers, accounting for 15% of teen driver crashes, compared to 12 % caused by texting or talking on a cell phone.
- For every 100,000 Americans under the age of 21, 1.2 people were killed in drunk driving fatalities in 2015.
“Not only are teens themselves more likely to die in car crashes, they also have the highest rates of crash involvement resulting in the deaths of others, including passengers, pedestrians or occupants of other vehicles.” – Newsday
Source: https://wesavelives.org/100-deadliest-days-of-summer/
