Avoid Driving Distracted to Help Make This "The 100 Safest Days of Summer"
Summer Brings a 20 Percent Increase in Teen Traffic Deaths, Averaging 7 Every Day; Driver Distraction a Factor in 25 – 30 Percent of Fatal Crashes
NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Driver distraction is a major factor in teen crashes, especially during the summer months when young people are on the road more frequently, often traveling with friends. That's why the National Road Safety Foundation is teaming up with Impact Teen Drivers, SADD, We Save Lives and more than a dozen other traffic safety advocacy groups to make this "The 100 Safest Days of Summer" by calling attention to teen driving risks.
Driver distraction is involved in 25 to 30 percent of crashes, resulting in thousands of fatalities and more than 289,000 serious injuries nationwide every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Crashes claim about 2,100 teen lives every year, and teen traffic deaths spike by about 20 percent during summer months, with seven teens killed every day on our roads and highways.
The risk of distraction is especially high for teen drivers. Parents should talk with their teen drivers about distraction. Technology can also help stem the problem, with apps that prevent calls while a car is in motion and others that enable parents to track and monitor driver behavior.
Education and intervention, by parents and other passengers, can help limit distracted driving. "Talking and texting on cell phones are the most talked-about causes of driver distraction, but there are many other things that can distract a driver," said Michelle Anderson of the National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit group that promotes safe driving behavior.
"Tuning the radio, adjusting the GPS, eating or drinking seem harmless, but they can take a driver's eyes and mind off the road, with potentially deadly results," she said. Even talking to other passengers can be a dangerous distraction. Part of the solution is to be aware of what creates driver distraction and to remember that drivers should always keep their hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and their mind on the task of driving.
Passengers can play a significant role in reducing the number of distracted driving crashes by speaking up if they're in a vehicle being driven by someone who is distracted or driving dangerously. "It's important that passengers speak up," said Anderson. "They can offer to make or take a call or send a text message for the driver, if he or she feels it just can't wait."
Despite the warnings, many people continue to drive distracted. A survey two years ago showed more than three-quarters of drivers said they use their cellphone while driving. More than half said they read texts or emails while driving and 27 percent said they check social media. Nineteen percent even admitted to shopping online while behind the wheel.
A new website covers a variety of traffic safety issues that impact teens, with materials that parents can use to engage with their young drivers about road safety. It is at www.100safestdaysofsummer.org.
Coalition members include the National Road Safety Foundation, Impact Teen Drivers, SADD, We Save Lives, the Brain Injury Alliance-New Jersey, Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition, Gweedo Memorial Foundation, Youth of Virginia Speak Out (YOVASO), Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), ADTSEA (American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association), In One Instant, the D.C. Office of Highway Safety, Kids and Car Safety, Safe Kids Worldwide, and California Highway Patrol (CHP). In addition, many local law enforcement, county and state agencies will reach out with messaging to their local media and on social media.
This year's campaign comes as statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show 39,354 people died in traffic crashes last year, a decrease of four percent from the previous year and below the 16-year high of 42,915 fatalities in 2021.
The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) is a non-profit group that for more than 60 years has been promoting driving safety, offering free information and videos to encourage safe driving behavior. NRSF creates driver safety programs for free distribution to teachers, police, traffic safety agencies, youth advocacy groups and others, with the focus on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving and other traffic safety issues. NRSF sponsors video contests for teens nationwide in partnership with SADD, FCCLA and ADTSEA, which represents driver education teachers nationally, and regional contests in partnership with auto shows in Detroit and Chicago. To view free programs and for more information, visit www.nrsf.org.