‘100 Deadliest Days’: Summer months bring spike in teen fatal crashes

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A mother who lost her only son in a traffic crash is asking parents and teenagers to take simple steps to avoid “the 100 deadliest days” of driving. 

Tammy Guido McGee said her 16-year old boy, Conner, died in 2019 while traveling as a passenger with another teenager from school. “All he did was accept a ride,” McGee said. 

Because of that tragedy, McGee has become a traffic safety advocate, talking to people across the country. 

“Don’t think it’s not going to happen to you,” McGee said. “Because that was us, and here we are.” 

Along with the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), McGee is warning families to be mindful of the “100 Deadliest Days”. It’s the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day, when fatal teen crashes see a significant spike. 

Teen traffic fatalities increase more than 20% during the 100-day period, according to NRSF, averaging nine deaths a day.

A coalition of advocacy groups, including NRSF, Impact Teen Drivers, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and FCCLA, is leading a nationwide push to buck the trend, making it “The 100 Safest Days”. The groups are raising awareness of how avoidable dangers, like drowsy driving, impaired driving, and speeding, turn fatal too often. 

“We want teenagers to buckle up, put that phone away,” McGee said.

But she said the largest contributing factor to a crash is having too many passengers. “Especially now in the summer. Everybody is jumping in the car, they want to go to the beach,” McGee said. “We want them to have fun. We just want them to understand the real dangers.”

The groups launched www.100safestdaysofsummer.org to shine a light on traffic safety issues putting teens at risk, with resources for parents as well. 

“Talk about this,” McGee said. “So another teenager doesn’t have to lose their life.”