Protecting Teen Drivers: How To Navigate The ‘100 Deadliest Days’ Of Summer

As summer approaches, families across the country look forward to road trips and warm-weather freedom — but for parents of teen drivers, the season also brings heightened risk.

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known among safety experts as the “100 Deadliest Days,” when crash fatalities involving young drivers increase significantly.

Doug Horn, a teen driver safety advocate and personal injury attorney, is encouraging parents to take proactive steps during these high-risk months. Citing a combination of factors — less structure, more free time, and limited driving experience — Horn says the summer season presents serious challenges for teen motorists.

“The first time my kids drove off alone, I waited up every night until I heard the garage door,” Horn said. “Theres nothing like the worry you carry as a parent.”

To help parents shift from worry to preparedness, Horn developed the Teen Driver Protection Guide, a free resource that outlines key safety strategies through an easy-to-remember ABCD formula: Alert, Buckled, Cautious and Defensive.

The guide includes practical advice for families, such as incorporating road safety discussions into everyday life and encouraging “pre-driving” awareness among middle schoolers to help them become attentive passengers before they start driving themselves. It also recommends setting clear expectations with a written driving agreement and reviewing auto insurance coverage to ensure teens are properly protected.

“Teenagers dont just learn by listening, they learn by watching,” Horn said. “If you drive distracted or angry, youre teaching them thats okay. If you stay calm, buckled, and defensive, theyll follow your lead.”

Horn notes that with formal drivers education programs on the decline in many states, parents now play the most critical role in shaping safe driving habits. The guide includes a customizable contract and tips for handling high-risk situations, such as curfews, phone use, and passenger limits.

A longtime advocate for roadway safety, Horn brings three decades of legal experience to his work. He is the founder of The Horn Law Firm, P.C., and has handled hundreds of serious injury and fatality cases. His passion for preventing crashes is grounded in both professional and personal experience as a father of three.

The Teen Driver Protection Guide is available as a free download at hornlaw.com, where parents can also find additional resources to help navigate the summer driving season.