It is that wonderful time of the year again, summer! Most of us look forward to vacations, barbeques, days at the beach and a more relaxed environment; however, this doesn't account for you if you are the parent of a teen driver because your work has just begun.

Teen drivers are involved in more auto crashes that involve fatalities and serious injuries during summer than any other time of the year. The solution to this problem is being an active participant in your teen's driving experience — you can become more involved by monitoring your teen's progress as they develop safe driving skills and by being a good example by eliminating distractions in the car.

The Dori Slosberg Foundation has done public service announcements, videos and written numerous articles about the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers in order to educate the public and change the sad statistics. Even though traffic fatalities in the U.S. are at record low numbers, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that car crashes are still the #1 killer of American teens. The latest data published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) shows that the risk of being killed in a car crash nearly doubles for teens age 15-19 during the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The kick-off to summer is the perfect time to sit down with your teens and communicate the laws in your state and the rules of your household when it comes to taking the wheel. You will have to repeat the following more than a few times and there is no guarantee that you will get much of a response; but psychologists have shown that teens actually hear more than they let on, so don't stop talking!

• Distractions are the first thing to discuss because there are so many of them. Talking, texting, radios, too many passengers or distracting passengers, pets, make-up and food are all things that need to be addressed.
• Drinking and driving or driving under the influence of drugs is never acceptable and no one ever thinks that their child would do this but it still happens and it happens more in the summer. It is better to talk to your kids about the importance of having a designated driver and of course the laws that are in place in your state then to hope that they know all this already.
• The importance of seatbelt use can never be stressed enough. One click can save your life and the lives of your passengers. Remind your teen driver that they are responsible for everyone else in the car and that the car should not start until everyone has buckled up!
• Laws are in place to keep everyone safe so they are never the exception to the rules. Do not speed, use turn signals, and always try to be a courteous driver while sharing the road.

Wishing all of you and your friends and families a happy, safe summer!!!!!
Tara Kirschner