Mom campaigns for safer teen driving during '100 Deadliest Days of Summer

July 3, 2024

Lots of people will be hitting the road to celebrate the Fourth of July with family and friends, but road safety is a big concern this time of year, especially when it comes to teenage drivers. A woman from Virginia is sharing her son's story to help raise awareness.

AAA projects that more than 70 million people will travel 50 miles or more this week for the Fourth of July.

It is currently the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” which takes place from Memorial Day through Labor Day. That's because teens are out of school and getting behind the wheel as inexperienced drivers.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, teenagers are three times more likely to get into a crash compared to older drivers.

The Guido Memorial Foundation is trying to turn this deadly stretch into the “100 Safest Days of Summer.”

Executive director of the group, Tammy Guido McGee, lost her son, Connor, to a reckless, unlicensed driver in 2019.

She says these crashes are preventable and wants to share her story about her son to remind teens and drivers to put down their phone, slow down, and keep your eyes on the road.

"Nobody wants to wake up one day, and have their son, or their daughter ripped from them, realizing they’re never going to come back. They’re never going to come back. They’re never going to graduate high school. They're never going to graduate college. They're never going to give us grandchildren,” Guido McGee said.

She says he was the joy of her life and only son.

Guido McGee says drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the crash, but reckless driving was, which is the cause of 60 percent of teen crashes.

She says these types of crashes are preventable and parents can help.

"We need parents to get involved. We need them to step up to the plate and say, 'What are you doing?' Put an app on their phone, follow your teenagers driving. We need our legislatures and lawmakers to step up. We need them to see the number of fatalities here in Maine that are preventable,” Guido McGee said.

She adds if you see something, say something.