AAA reports that Memorial Day marked the start of the 100 deadliest days of the calendar year for drivers.
Research shows that nearly 3,500 people have been killed in crashes in the past five years in crashes involving teenage drivers between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The new crash data, released Thursday morning, showed the biggest factors include speed and alcohol use.
More than half of those crashes also involved some sort of distracted driving, which is four times as many as federal estimates.
The motor club urges parents to talk with their teens about safe driving habits, including leaving the phone out of reach.
