Smart Safety - Summer Break Brings New Freedoms and a Powerful Opportunity for Parents to Keep Teen Drivers Safe

 The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the 100 Deadliest Days for teen drivers, but one expert says it doesn’t have to be. With the right guidance, summer can become a season of growth, responsibility, and lasting safe-driving habits.

Teen Driver Safety Advocate Doug Horn aims to help parents feel empowered, not anxious. “This is a golden opportunity to shape the kind of driver your teen becomes,” says Horn, a father of three. “Parents are the most important safety influence their teen will ever have.”

Horn is sharing simple, actionable steps families can take right now to confidently navigate summer roads. His free downloadable Teen Driver Protection Guide includes easy tips, a customizable driving agreement, and the memorable ABCD formula: Alert, Buckled, Cautious, and Defensive.

Smart Habits Start at Home:

• Talk about driving safety early and often — whether at the dinner table or in the passenger seat.
• Begin “pre-driving” education with middle schoolers to build good passenger habits early.
• Set expectations with a written agreement that outlines curfews, passenger limits, and phone use.
• Double-check insurance coverage to make sure it protects your teen in case of a serious accident.

Doug emphasizes that the habits teens see at home make the biggest difference. “When parents stay calm, focused, and buckled, their teens are far more likely to do the same,” he says. 

About Doug Horn
Doug Horn is a nationally recognized Teen Driver Safety Advocate and expert on preventing traffic-related injuries and fatalities among young drivers. He is the creator of the Teen Driver Protection Guide, a free downloadable resource built around the ABCDs of safe driving: Alert, Buckled, Cautious, and Defensive. With over three decades of experience studying driver behavior and road safety trends, Doug is a trusted voice in driver education, helping parents and teens build safer habits for life. He is also the founder of The Horn Law Firm, P.C. Doug earned his law degree from Capital University Law School and has dedicated his career to advancing roadway safety through education, public awareness, and legal advocacy.