Distracted driving is becoming increasingly common and dangerous, causing traffic crashes and fatalities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Six teens ages 16 to 19 die every day from motor vehicle injuries.

Teens may even be aware of the danger, but in the teenage mind, the need to stay in touch often outweighs the need to stay safe. ‘Kids who are learning to drive right now have grown up with cell phones, so it seems natural to stay connected to their friends all the time,” said Sam McCage, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC, manager of Behavioral Health Services at Cook Children’s. “When teenagers do not respond immediately to texts, they might feel that they’re being very rude or will miss out on something important.”

The most dangerous time of the year for teens to drive, is the first year after they receive their driver license. Drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 have a higher crash rate than those drivers between the ages of 18 and 19. Sixteen –year-old drivers are less experienced and haven’t developed the skills necessary to handle distractions, road hazards and poor traffic situations.

Parents can help their teen drivers by riding in the car with them, even after they obtain their license. The only way teens learn to drive is by driving, and they will get better at driving when coached by an experienced older driver. Please don’t assume that just because your teen has passed their driving test, that they know everything about driving.

Police continue to investigate the cause of the accident, but young drivers are always at risk any time they are on the road.

In 2015, more than 81,900 drivers ages 15-19 were involved in traffic crashes on Texas roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in teens, ahead of all other types of injury, disease or violence. The Texas Department of Public Transportation states there are more than 100,000 traffic crashes in Texas each year involving distracted driving.

While the Facebook Live aspect of the story in Pennsylvania has gained the most media attention, the two girls were participating in at least two other activities that Safe Kids Worldwide describes as risky behavior:

• They were driving without adult supervision. When two or more teens ride in a vehicle with a teen driver, the risk of a fatal crash can double or even triple with more passengers in the car.

• They were driving after midnight. The risk of a fatal crash at night can be more than three times higher for teens than adults.

Lonny Haschel, a staff lieutenant for the Texas Department of Public Safety, encourages teens, and all other drivers, to avoid distractions while driving by putting away their phones.

Lt. Haschel says there are steps parents can take before their child gets behind the wheel to help them be safer on the road:

1. Make sure the teen has taken all the Texas DPS suggested driver education courses.
2. Work with insurance companies and take advantage of any programs offered. This may help with insurance rates when the new driver receives his or her license.
3. During the period when the teen has a learners permit, get plenty of practice driving. Driving is like any other skill; the more you practice the better you become.
4. Teach the new driver to be respectful of others on the roadway and be courteous.
5. Make sure your teen is taught how to maintain the vehicle. Each driver needs to know how to check fluid levels and change flat tires.
6. Teach them who to call in an emergency and how to respond in the event they are involved in a crash.
7. Make sure the teen knows that they can always call the parent for guidance, regardless of the situation.

Most importantly, Lt. Haschel says it’s important for parents to establish ground rules when handing the keys over to teen drivers. If you want your teen to drive safely, give them a good model by putting your phone away while driving.

“A parent/teen driving contract can help spell out the guidelines and the consequences if the terms are not followed,” Lt. Haschel said. “They need to address topics such as friends in the car, smart phone use, GPS use, vehicle maintenance and family responsibilities. Many insurance companies have teen driver programs, so we encourage parents to work with their insurance agents.”

Resources For Young Drivers:

• Parent/Child Driver's Agreement from SafeKids 
• Teens in the Driver Seat
• Why Parents Should Get Involved Video
• Teen Driver Information

But mom and dad, you may play a larger part than you ever realized in keeping your kids safe behind the wheel. And if you have a son, you may have to have an even longer conversation.

New research from Safe Kids Worldwide and the General Motors Foundation looks at the risks for teen drivers and some of the numbers are frightening, especially for boys:

• In 2014, 2,138 teens ages 15 to 19 died in a motor vehicle crash (2 out of 3 were drivers, 1 out of 3 were passengers). Three out of four were male.
• Of teen drivers killed who had alcohol in their bloodstream when tested, 8 out of 10 were male.
• The risk of a fatal crash by a teen driver is almost 3 times higher if their passengers are male.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in teens. Males make up almost three-quarters of teen driver deaths and typically suffer more injuries than females. The study states “these differences may be partially explained by the fact that teen males are more likely to drive, ride in a car without a seat belt and rive under the influence of alcohol.”

Research shows that the leading causes of crashes among teen drivers are:

• Driver inexperience
• Driving with other teen passengers
• Nighttime driving
• Not wearing seat belts
• Distracted driving
• Drowsy driving
• Reckless driving (speeding)
• Impaired driving

While the report is scary for parents, it does show they can develop safe young drivers by establishing road rules.

“Parents need to be involved,” said Dana Walraven, Community Health Outreach manager at Cook Children’s. “Make an agreement with your teen on family driving rules. When there is a formal agreement between the parents and teen, we see less risky behavior. Let your child know what is expected of them while driving.”

With a formal rule against it, the report shows 91 percent of kids rarely/never text while driving, 94 percent of kids with an agreement rarely/never drive after an agreement and 90 percent of kids with an agreement always wear their seat belts.

“Along with the formal agreement, parents can make a huge difference by being a good role model when they are driving with their kids,” Walraven said. “Parents shouldn’t text ever, especially with their kids in the car. Pull over if you need to make a call or text. Buckle up on every ride. Don’t speed and follow the rules of the road. The same thing we expect of our children, they expect from us and they are always watching us. Another great thing parents can do is make sure your teen gets at least 50 hours of supervised experienced under a variety of driving conditions. The more experience they get with an adult, the better off they will be when they are alone or with another teen.”

When making the family agreement, Safe Kids Worldwide recommends these seven rules:

1. 1.Buckle up: every person, every time.
2. 2.Don’t drink and drive.
3. 3.Limit the number of passengers in a car.
4. 4.Don’t text and drive.
5. 5.Follow the speed limit.
6. 6.Only drive in the dark after extra practice.
7. 7.Speak up when any driver is driving unsafely.

Resources:

Cook Children's -  Safety in and around cars 

Distracted driving is becoming increasingly common and dangerous, causing traffic crashes and fatalities. In 2015, 463 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in Texas and 3,000 more were seriously hurt.

This month, the Texas Department of Transportation begins it's annual "Talk. Text. Crash." distracted driving campaign. According to TxDot:

"In 2015, 38 percent of Texas drivers admitted to talking on their mobile phone while driving at least some of the time, according to a survey conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, and more than one-fifth (21.2 percent) of drivers said they read or send text messages or emails when behind the wheel."

Teens may even be aware of the danger, but in the teenage mind, the need to stay in touch often outweighs the need to stay safe. ‘Kids who are learning to drive right now have grown up with cell phones, so it seems natural to stay connected to their friends all the time,” said Sam McCage, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC, manager of Behavioral Health Services at Cook Children’s. “When teenagers do not respond immediately to texts, they might feel that they’re being very rude or will miss out on something important.”

The most dangerous time of the year for teens to drive, is the first year after they receive their driver license. Drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 have a higher crash rate than those drivers between the ages of 18 and 19. Sixteen –year-old drivers are less experienced and haven’t developed the skills necessary to handle distractions, road hazards and poor traffic situations.

Parents can help their teen drivers by riding in the car with them, even after they obtain their license. The only way teens learn to drive is by driving, and they will get better at driving when coached by an experienced older driver. Please don’t assume that just because your teen has passed their driving test, that they know everything about driving.

In 2015, 463 people wre killed in distracted driving crashes in Texas and 3,000 more were seriously hurt

A study by AT&T states that nearly 4-in-10 smartphone users look at social media while driving and about 30 percent surf the net while driving.

The Texas Department of Transportation has begun its annual "Talk, Text, Crash" campaign this month, in hopes of stopping texting while driving and to decrease driving distractions. TxDOT reports that 1 in 5 traffic crashes happen because of "texting, talking and other distractions."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texting while driving:

• Impairs driving ability as much as drinking four beers.
• Increases crash risk by 23 times.
• Causes 1.6 million wrecks and 330,000 injuries each year.
• Accounts for 11 teen deaths every day.

Teens may even be aware of the danger, but in the teenage mind, the need to stay in touch often outweighs the need to stay safe.

"Kids who are learning to drive right now have grown up with smartphones and cell phones, so it seems natural to stay connected to their friends all the time," said Sam McCage, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC, manager of Behavioral Health Services at Cook Children's. "When teenagers don't respond immediately to texts, they might feel that they're being rude or will miss out on something important."

McCage said parents should talk to their kids about the dangers of being distracted on the road, but they should also be a good example for their children. Studies show that:

• 48 percent of young drivers have seen their parents drive while talking on the phone.
• 15 percent of young drivers have seen their parents text while driving.
• 48 percent of children ages 12-17 have been in a car while the driver was texting.

And for that extra measure of safety, mobile apps can block messages from being sent while your child is driving and there are devices which can stop all phone use while the vehicle is in motion.