The Summer Months Are a Time to Unwind, But Also a Time to Take Care, As Peak Sunshine Season Means Peak Injury Season
Summer is upon us, and there are many reasons to be cheerful: long, warm sunny days, school’s finally out, and it’s vacation time. But far less cheerfully, summertime is also ‘peak season’ for injuries and fatalities.
As this study will show, summertime in the U.S. means busier emergency rooms, dangerous weather conditions, and a spike in car crashes. We’ll uncover the data that underscores these unhappy trends and consider ways to keep the injury and fatality numbers down.
Summer Perils: A Step-By-Step Guide
During the summer, kids in the U.S. put away their textbooks and lunchboxes and instead fill their time with all kinds of activities. Sports and games are big, as is summer camp.
Kids are full of energy, and with the sun out, they can get into so many of the activities they’ve been waiting to enjoy, all school year long. Unfortunately, that means accidents are more likely to occur, especially among children, who face a significantly higher risk during the summer months.
Reports from 2023 suggest that, between June and August, nearly 200,000 children suffered injuries. Hot grills, camping equipment, fishing poles, and swimming were some of the main causes of accidents reported that year. Notably, children were at a significantly higher risk during activities such as swimming.
Swimming Danger
Child Safety Network data reveals that drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged one to four, with a 12% increase in fatal drownings for children under 15 between 2020 and 2021, with around 900 deaths every year from unintentional drowning.
Tragically, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report suggests that an average of 375 children a year drown within 25 yards of a parent or adult, with 10% of parents watching the incident unfold, without realizing their child is drowning.
Child drowning rates vary across America. Some of the determining differentials include systemic inequities regarding access to supervised lessons, while some states see more frequent use of unregulated or potentially hazardous swimming spots.
CDC data highlights Alaska, Hawaii, and Louisiana as the states that feature the highest drowning rates for children. Explore the interactive map below to learn more about state-specific drowning rates:
The same scorching weather that sends kids running to the pool also poses serious risks. Nearly 1 in 5 burn injuries treated in hospitals or outpatient clinics involve children, most often from contact with searing hot surfaces like sidewalks and playground equipment during extreme heat.
Heat-Related Issues
Urban areas are often subject to significantly higher temperatures than surrounding rural regions. The reasons are numerous, but include the entrapment of heat due to clusters of tightly packed large buildings, the mass of daily human bustle, and a lack of natural cooling elements such as large, natural water features and abundant vegetation. Ultimately, large cities often become Urban Heat Islands (UHIs), resulting in unfortunate health consequences.
Some cities represent far more oppressive and dangerous UHIs than others. Here are the top 10 urban heat islands in the U.S. (The number represents how much hotter a city gets than its surrounding area.)
Beyond the cities, the summer heat in some states becomes so intense that it leads to a startling number of heat-related deaths. Arizona tops the list of heat deaths, with a comparatively huge margin, five times more than the next on the list, Texas. During periods of extreme heat, the homeless and older adults are vulnerable, and it’s not just an outdoor problem; faulty air conditioning routinely leads to hospitalization.
For workers enduring hot weather, the problem can be even more severe. In particular, on days with temperatures above 90°F, workers are at a 6% to 9% higher risk of injury compared to cooler days. So, as the weather soars, so too does the injury risk-factor.
The ten states that suffer the most heat-related deaths each summer are:
The Peak Season for Road Risks and Accidents
Summer is the most dangerous season on U.S. roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), June and July are the busiest driving months, with 45 million vehicles on the road during 2024’s Memorial Day Weekend alone.
This seasonal surge contributes to a dramatic increase in traffic accidents, particularly during the stretch from Memorial Day to Labor Day — often called the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer.” During this time, 30% of annual teen driver fatalities occur, making it especially perilous for younger drivers.
Alcohol-Related Crashes Drive Summer Emergency Surges
A leading factor behind summer road deaths is alcohol-impaired driving. July and August are the worst months of the year for drunk driving crashes, accounting for 10% and 9% of all such incidents in 2024.
These spikes align with holiday weekends like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, which also see sharp increases in emergency room visits.
America’s Summer Drinking Habits Fuel the Risk
Alcohol consumption peaks in summer, raising significant safety concerns. Nearly half of all days in June, July, and August see average blood alcohol content (BAC) levels above 0.060%, notably higher than the national year-round average.
The Summer Solstice and July 4 are the heaviest drinking days, with BACs averaging 0.082%, just above the legal driving limit of 0.08%. In fact, five summer days (June 7, 14, 21; July 3, 4) exceeded that limit, with Saturdays consistently ranking among the highest-risk days for impaired driving.
Beyond the Roads: Summer’s Broader Safety Hazards
Summer isn’t just dangerous behind the wheel. It’s also the season when insurance claims for storm, fire, and water damage spike. Restaurant workers’ compensation claims peak in these months, driven by seasonal hires.
In 2024, electric burn injuries rose to 307 cases with 43 fatalities, and summer injury hospital stays averaged 16.4 days, the longest of any season.
Preventing Summer Tragedies
Many of these risks are avoidable. Safety improvements like enhanced swimming supervision, protection for outdoor workers, and better public education on heat-related illness can save lives. Tackling drunk driving, teen driving safety, and holiday congestion would significantly reduce summertime fatalities.
Above all, we must treat summer not only as a time of leisure but one that demands heightened caution.
At Bader Law, we know more accidents happen during the summer than at any other time. If you suffer an accident, get in touch with us – we can help. And remember: you deserve the best, don’t settle for less!
