11 Summer Safety Facts and Stats

This week we've had heat waves, thunderstorms, too much ice cream and hardly any homework. Summer is officially here. To keep the livin' easy and healthy, we compiled 11 facts and stats about summer time safety risks.

318 people die each year from heat-related illnesses, some or all of which could be prevented by adequate hydration and heat protection. The Center for Disease control recommends avoiding alcohol consumption to avoid falling victim to a heat-related illness.
When you’re thirsty, drink water. Even though an ice-cold soda sounds totally thirst-quenching, it won’t keep you hydrated.
Sunblock shouldn't be traded in for tanning oil...ever. According to the American Melanoma Foundation, cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, have been increasing in young people each year since 1992.
Don't wait until you're at the pool to lather up. It takes 30 minutes for sunblock to fully soak in and protect you from the sun's UV rays.
Summer is the peak season for underage drinking. If you’re not into the idea of sweating alcohol, get ready to say “No thanks” often.
Most first-time underage drinking occurrences happen in the month of July. We bet the partying on the 4th has something to do with that stat, which is weird because fireworks are obviously most enjoyed with an ice cream cone in hand, not a beer.
If you find yourself at a pool party where a bunch of your friends have traded in their pitchers of lemonade for pitchers of beer, pull out the water wings and keep a close eye on revelers: up to half of all recreational water deaths involve alcohol.
Now more than ever, look both ways before you cross the street. Summer roads are packed with newly licensed drivers. Young people spend an average of 7 or more hours per week driving in the summer compared to during the school year.
And teens who aren’t driving spend the summer “sittin in the front seat, chillin in the back seat”—Rebecca Black style. 23% of teen drivers are more likely to drive with 3 or more other teens during the summer as compared to the school year.
With more time on the road and more people in the car, teen drivers are most at risk in the summer. 7 of the 10 deadliest days for teen drivers happen in the summer.
Some of those teens who start drinking in the summer time will make the really dangerous and really stupid decision to drive while drunk. Of all 15 to 20-year-old drivers killed in a car crash, 31% had been drinking.