A car crash involving eight teenagers packed into a Toyota Camry has once again drawn attention to a dangerous trend: teen driving fatalities spike during the summer months. Law enforcement officials say the driver in the crash was intoxicated.

The crash occurred during what safety experts call the “100 Deadliest Days” — the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day - when teen crash fatalities historically surge. According to the National Road Safety Foundation, teenagers are 20% more likely to be involved in a fatal crash during this period compared to the rest of the year.

For parents, the statistics are sobering. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee reports that a 16- to 17-year-old driver’s risk of dying in a crash increases with each additional passenger under the age of 21.

“Teen drivers should go it alone to make it home,” warns one public service campaign.

Marge Lee, of Franklin Square, knows the consequences of drunk driving all too well. Her stepson Kenney was killed in a 1990 crash caused by an impaired driver.

“Put a bunch of kids in a car,” Lee says. “They’re poking each other, including the driver, they’re fooling around. Maybe the music is blasting. It’s the perfect storm for something bad to happen.”

Just last week, five teenagers were injured in another crash on the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon — again, during the 100 Deadliest Days.

Experts stress the importance of setting a good example.

“If you show them the right way, hopefully they will follow the right way,” Lee advised.