Summer Road Safety

By Deborah Hsiung, D.O., FAAP is a pediatrician

Summer is an especially dangerous time for teen drivers. Historically, there is a higher rate of teen driving-related fatalities than any other time of year. In fact, traffic crashes remain the number one unintentional cause of serious injury and death for young people. These incidents are preventable, but several factors contribute to this problem.

One is that teen drivers, who are still maturing, and have limited driving experience, have more free time to spend behind the wheel in summer months. In 2024, 451 California drivers aged 15-20 were involved in traffic crashes.

Driver inattention is also a major factor. Nationally, 3,208 people were killed in distraction-affected crashes in 2024, including 186 teens 15-19 years old. Most vehicle crashes are preventable, and we can stop them from happening. Families can help reduce risks and build safer driving habits by:

Talking to your teen about the rules and responsibilities involved in driving, including distractions, speeding, wearing their seat belts, and not driving impaired or drowsy.
Set consequences for unsafe driving. If your teen breaks a rule you’ve set, consider suspending your teen’s driving privileges.
Restrict the number of teen passengers in the car. National studies have found that teens (age 16-17) carrying two or more teen passengers were twice as likely to die in a crash compared to driving alone.
Restrict the hours during which your teen can drive. Reduced visibility, inexperience, and driver drowsiness make driving at night more dangerous for teens.
Be a good example by following the speed limit, focusing on the road and practicing other safe driving habits your teen can emulate. Novice teen drivers most often learn from watching their parents.

Furthermore, to help teens stay safe behind the wheel, California has a provisional licensing law that places limits for new drivers, such as transporting passengers under 20 years old and driving late at night. This approach can reduce your teen’s crash risk by as much as 50%.

To support traffic safety, here are some organizations with opportunities to promote safe driving: