The unofficial summer season is here. 

Memorial Day has come and gone. High school graduations are finished. 

And according to AAA, it is one of the most dangerous times of the year for young drivers.

More than 30% of deaths involving teen drivers across the nation occur during the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day, “the 100 Deadliest Days.”

For every mile driven, new teen drivers (ages 16-17) are three times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults, according to AAA. With school out, that means less experienced teen drivers will be out on the road more — more driving at night and even potentially engaging in such risky behaviors behind the wheel as texting and speeding.

AAA also says it expects “two years worth of pent-up travel demand to be unleashed in the coming months.”

Each year, an average of 2,063 teen drivers are involved in fatal crashes. Of those crashes, 642 occurred during the “100 deadliest days.” More than 7,124 people died in teen-related crashes over the summer from 2011-20.

Just in Georgia, an average of 24 teen drivers were involved in fatal crashes during this time and during the past 10 summers, 262 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers.

AAA advises parents the most important thing they can do to keep their teens safe is to be actively involved in the learning to drive process. That means talking with young drivers about avoiding behavior such as speeding, distracted driving and impaired driving. Parents also are encouraged to teach by example, showing their teens good driving habits. Parents also can enroll their teen driver in online and in-person driving courses and talk with them about anticipating what can happen on the road.

AAA also urges parents to set limits on the number of passengers teen drivers can have in the vehicle. They also should limit the amount of nighttime driving teens do, and enforce safety belt use. It also cannot be stressed enough to teens to avoid speeding, and to watch their speed when conditions require driving even slower, distracted driving and impaired driving.

Summer is upon us. Let’s help make sure everyone gets through it safely.