The Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will promote their “100 Days of Summer” to teen motorists and their passengers, aiming to reduce the number of youth injuries and fatalities on Ohio roads caused by inattention, failing to buckle up, and impaired driving.

“Emergency personnel are responding to crashes where teen injuries make up more than 16% of overall crash-related injuries, even though they represent only 8% of the driving public,” said Richard Rucker, executive director of the Ohio Division of EMS.

The Division encourages teens to adopt four simple steps that will help steer them away from the emergency room this summer:

• Leave the distractions at home – According to the NHTSA, nearly 80% of crashes and 65% of near crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds of the event
• Always buckle up – Research by the NHTSA shows that nighttime seatbelt use continues to be much lower for teens. In 2006 68% of the 2,926 fatalities involving 16 to 20-year olds were not wearing seatbelts.
• Maintain a safe speed – A driver can be ejected from a vehicle at speeds as low as 25 miles per hour. The faster the car is moving, the better the chances for injuries or ejections
• Don’t drink and drive – Last summer, 521 alcohol related crashes involved teens between the ages of 15 and 20 years old. Don’t drink and drive.