Young drivers in Texas are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash during the summer months - especially if they're driving in rural parts of the state.

For 6 out of 10 crashes involving teen drivers, distractions such as a phone or other young passenger in the car were to blame, according to Daniel Armbruster, a spokesman for the American Automobile Association of Texas.

"Young passengers are the number one distraction for teen drivers, which is why state laws restrict how many passengers under 21 a driver can have in the vehicle," Armbruster said.

Rural areas of Texas have the highest rate of fatalities involving young drivers, with areas of West Texas posing the greatest risk, according to data from the National Highway Safety Administration. The data shows lower rates of teen fatalities in the denser urban corridors of Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

Overall, crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, according to the CDC . Eight teens die on average every day as the result of vehicle accidents, with the risk for teens age 16-19 almost three times higher than that of a driver 20 or older. Young male drivers are three times more likely to die than young female drivers, according to a report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Texas has a three-phase Graduated Driver's License program that allows teens as young as 15 to drive with adult supervision using a learner's license after taking part of a driver's education course. The second phase allows a provisional license that limits nighttime driving hours and passengers. That phase requires 30 hours of supervised driving, with 10 hours at night and the completion of a driver education course and a driving test. At age 18, the restrictions can be lifted for a standard license.

The Texas Department of Transportation's annual crash statistics also show that speeding, failure to buckle seat belts and driver impairment (sleepiness or the use of alcohol or drugs) contribute to traffic fatalities, and inexperienced teen drivers are even more vulnerable than more experienced drivers. According to TXDOT, 45% of teens killed in vehicle crashes in 2021 were not wearing seat belts.

"It's all about experience," said Armbruster, who spends some of his time teaching teen driver safety classes for AAA.

The American Automobile Association calls the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day the "100 Deadliest Days," when teen driver deaths increase.

Armbruster has advice for parents: "Be a good role model behind the wheel. Your teen started learning about driving long before you began thinking about learner's permits, driving classes and teenage driving tips."

Armbruster also points to the value of a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that spells out specifics responsibilities and privileges of driving.

"Children watch their parents' driving behavior from the back seat, learning how they interact with other drivers, obey traffic laws and avoid distractions," he said.

Terry Bertling teaches journalism at Texas State University and is the lead reporter for Texas Community Health News, a collaboration between the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the university’s Translational Health Research Center. TCHN stories, reports and data visualizations are provided free to Texas newsrooms.