HOUSTON — The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the "100 Deadliest Days" for teen drivers. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than 30% of fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the summer months.

With schools out for summer and more teenagers expected on the roads, safety experts are urging parents to reinforce safe driving habits during this high-risk period. The combination of greater freedom, increased time behind the wheel, passenger distractions, and inexperience creates dangerous conditions for young drivers.

Ashley Stewart, a Houston parent, requires her 17-year-old daughter to follow a detailed driving contract before driving alone. "A car is a dangerous machine. You guys may think it’s not, but you could kill somebody and I don’t want that to ever happen," Stewart said. The contract includes 17 rules, such as no phone use while driving, always wearing a seatbelt, no speeding, no horseplay, adherence to all traffic laws, and limits on teen passengers. "You are not allowed to carry more than one person under the age of 21 in your car with the exception of your sister without speaking with your parents," she said.

Ricky Hernandez, an attorney, encouraged other parents to adopt similar agreements. "I think parents should do that with their teens. Even if it doesn’t hold up legally in a court of law, it does hold up in the court of the kitchen," Hernandez said. Safety advocates say setting clear expectations, practicing supervised driving in varied conditions, limiting passengers, and banning phone use can improve teen driver safety. AAA provides a sample driving agreement for families to use.