METAIRIE, La. (WGNO) – Less time in school means more time on the road, making the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, a deadly driving zone for teenagers.

“Usually the teen driver takes the most risks and has the least skills and that’s just a deadly combination,” says Don Redman of AAA Louisiana.

“Don’t text and drive” is a safety message that teenagers hear a lot, but it’s not always the cell phone that’s luring teenage eyes off the road.

State Trooper Melissa Matey says, “The biggest distraction that we see with teenagers is other passengers in the vehicle.”

That’s right statistics and police records show that friends are more dangerous than phones! One recent study by the AAA Foundation reveals a shocking increase in distracted driving:

“Federal statistics say that about 14 percent of all teen crashes involve distraction. This groundbreaking study says it’s much worse than that, we’re talking about 60 percent or 6 out of 10 crashes involving teenagers involve a distraction,” says Redman.

The AAA website has “parent –teen contracts” that can help raise awareness, and if you are worried that your teen’s driving skills aren’t up to par, consider going for a ride with them. State law says new teen drivers must have 50 hours of supervised driving; AAA recommends 100 hours.

Redman says parents should keep monitoring their teens from the passenger seat even after they have their unrestricted license. “We encourage parents to ride in the fog, ride in the rain, and ride at night. When you talk about having an adult passenger, a parent, in the seat next to the teen driver, you reduce the risk of a fatal crash by 68 percent,” he points out.

Trooper Melissa Matey reminds parents to review the laws with novice drivers, including buckling up, driving sober, and absolutely no cell phones if you’re 17 or under.

“All cell phones are illegal for teenagers 17 and under, so they are not allowed to use cell phones at all and that includes all hands-free devices,” emphasizes Matey.