Danger: behind the wheel: distracted driving is on the rise, making summer the scariest time for teens to be on the road. Here's what's causing new drivers to lose control--and the moves being made to keep ya safe.

It was June 26, 2007, and Bailey Goodman, Meredith McClure, Hannah Congdon, Sara Monnat and Katie Shirley were on their way to a cottage in East Bloomfield, N.Y., to celebrate--the best friends, many of them cheerleaders, had graduated from Fairport High School just five days earlier.

Pamula Ciranni, Fairport's principal, said that a seminar educating teens on driver's safety is required for all student drivers. Yet despite their educational program, distractions were heavy in play this summer night. Bailey, 17 years old, had just received a text message on her cell phone. Four seconds later, her sports utility vehicle swerved, hitting an oncoming tractor-trailer at 60 miles per hour. All five teens died on impact.

No one knows whether it was Bailey, the driver, who was texting, but one thing is for sure. "It's been determined without any doubt that the cell phone that was receiving the texts belonged to the driver," said Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero. "We can't be sure whether she was actually texting herself, but in addition to that, there were enough distractions in the car to prevent any new driver from being safe on the road. Cell phones are a distraction and were most certainly a contributing cause in this accident," Povero concluded.

Sheriff Povero's message is one that's spreading as new laws are being passed around the country, shining much-needed attention to the rising problem of distracted driving. Here's a chilling fact: Car crashes are still the leading cause of teen death in this country. And a new survey finds that 58 percent of teenagers admit to texting while driving.

The scary stats don't end there: According to the National Safety Council, 636,000 traffic accidents occur each year as a result of talking on a cell phone or driving distracted in some way, resulting in 2,600 fatalities and 330,000 injuries. Think that will never be you? Think again. A recent study conducted by State Farm Insurance Co. in partnership with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia reported that teens are four times more likely to die in a car accident than adults.

An Alarming Addiction?

We all know it's dumb to take your eyes off the road for even a second, but it's not overly surprising that so many teens continue to drive distracted. After all, we live in a world where there's always a status to update, a Tweet to type or a text to check. And when that ding goes off on your phone, it's hard to ignore--even when you're cruising at 50 miles per hour.

"Today's teens are living in a world of social networking that is constantly being updated," says Dr. Jennifer Powell-Lunder, an adolescent psychologist based in New York City. "People fear they're going to miss out on something. It's impulsive, and very difficult to turn away from."

Experts say that some teens are so compelled to check their cells--no matter where they are and what they're doing-that the behavior may even be considered an addiction. "Teens have become so used to being connected that they unconsciously need texts from their friends," says Dr. Michael Dow, a psychologist in Los Angeles. "They can't tolerate a moment of not doing it--it's an addictive behavior."

And just like any other potential addiction, the behavior needs to be treated before it causes any major harm to yourself or others. Sure, there's no rehab to cure a texting obsession, but many people--both adults and kids--are making moves to ensure that teens stay safe on the roads.

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Taking a Stand

For starters, thirteen states and the District of Columbia have banned driving while texting: Get caught and get slapped with a ticket, a fine or potential points on your driving record, which can make your insurance rates skyrocket or even cause you to lose your license all together. Not good.

And then there are the efforts being made by kids like Jessica Anderson, 16, a sophomore at Belt High School in Montana, who worked with Rep. Mike Milburn to help pass House Bill 238, creating Teen Driver Safety Day.

"We surveyed students at our school and found that 49 percent of our peers texted while driving on a regular basis," says Jessica. "We spoke to a transportation committee about the dangers of distracted driving. Now Montana recognizes the third Tuesday of each October as Teen Driving Safety Day."

Another teen, Lindsay Rowley, was moved to action when her friend, Chris Gentile, was killed while driving distracted several years ago. He was only 18.

"Chris and I were old friends. We worked at an ice cream shop together," she says. Six months after Lindsay started speaking about safe driving, two more of her friends died in a car accident. "There were too many people in the car. There was too much going on when they crashed. They didn't have to die."

Lindsay travels from school to school, making her point hit home. "When I speak to assemblies, I ask students to look around and count 17 kids. Then I tell them that 17 teens die a night due to inexperience. I ask them, 'What would your prom or graduation be like without those friends?'"

Spreading the Word

Janae Tompkins, 16, from Sioux City, Ill., asks herself that question each time she gets behind the wheel--her cousin nearly killed herself while driving to school a couple years ago.

"Kelsey looked down to pick up her camera, and her car rolled eight times. It's amazing that she had only minor injuries [she was wearing her seat belt], but her car was totaled," she recalls. "If you're distracted for even two seconds, something bad can happen to you."

Rachel Schall, 19, who goes to school with Janae, learned a similar lesson when she was in an accident. Now, she tells her friends that talking and texting just aren't that important. "You can wait. And if you can't, find a safe place to pull over before you pick up your phone."

No Safety in Numbers 

Texting and cell calls aren't the only distraction dangers; for every additional passenger, the risks for a fatal accident increase dramatically. On Dec. 29, 2003, four boys in Indiana were driving too fast and took a 90-degree turn only to wind up dead. Jordyn Henson, a senior at the boys' high school, believes distraction played a huge part in the fatal crash. She feels so strongly about the issue that' she joined Project Ignition, which raises awareness about driving safety.

"At my school, 21 people have been killed in car accidents since the 1970s. Last year was the first year [no one was hurt in an accident]. We're the first class not to have a crash or fatality," says Jordyn. "There's no way to tell whether or not it's because we're raising awareness, but there's a good chance that's the case."

Road Rules

School-based initiatives like Project Ignition are great ways to spread the word about the dangers of distracted driving. But you can take even simpler steps to ensure driving safety, whether you're the driver or the passenger.

And how to go about doing just that? Follow the lead of teen driver Destiny Rochford, 17, of Three Forks, Mont. She gives herself strict road rules. "First, I never mess with the radio, even if I don't like the song. I'll wait 'til a stop sign to change the dial. Second, I demand seat belt usage. I tell my friends, 'If you don't buckle up, this car's not going anywhere.' Finally, I never ever pick up my cell phone so that I can focus on the one thing I'm supposed to be doing: driving. No call or text is worth a life."

83 percent of respondents in a recent study favor making driving while texting against the law; 40 percent favor keeping it legal if there are safer alternatives like voice-activated texting

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SELENA SPEAKS OUT Our cover girl Selene Gomez is serious about keeping teens safe on the road. She's working with State Farm Insurance's Project Ignition to spread the word (log onto betterteendriving.com for more).

STAY SMART--AND SAFE--BEHIND THE WHEEL

There are concrete steps you can take to prevent accidents from happening. While you're driving, that is all you should be doing. Period.

NEVER:

* Text or read texts. Pull over if need be.

* Talk on your cell. If you can't wait., find somewhere safe to park and make the call.

* Eat. Chow in the parking lot instead.

* Adjust your radio. Wait until you're stopped.

* Allow passengers to distract you.

* Pile in your crew. Your chance of getting into a fatal accident increases with every additional person.

AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS BUCKLE UP!

To learn how you can set involved or start your own chapter of Project ignition, check out its website: sfprojectisnition.com.