We've written other blog posts about the dangers of distracted driving, especially with teenagers. Teenagers throughout Milwaukee chat on their cellphones, text and speed. Plus, they typically lack the experience needed to quickly react in unexpected driving conditions.

Despite all that, a new study shows that for teenagers, there is one distraction that is more dangerous than the others. Simply having another teen in the car increases the chances of teenagers causing car accidents.

According to one study, teenagers who routinely drove with several other teens in the car shared several characteristics. The teens classified themselves as thrill-seekers. They did not think their parents set strict rules or monitored their whereabouts. They were also largely unaware of the risks associated with driving.

Thankfully, that group of teens makes up the minority, but the dangers they pose are still prominent.

The majority of teens who were studied reported that they had a good understanding of the risks associated with driving, they rarely drove with multiple passengers, and their parents monitored their behavior and had strict rules.

Regardless of what the passengers were doing, a high percentage of teens reported that they were distracted by their behaviors -- 71 percent of males and 27 percent of females were distracted by their passengers' behaviors.

Finally, males who had passengers were six times more likely to perform an illegal maneuver and more than twice as likely to drive aggressively compared to when they were driving alone. Regardless of whether they had passengers, females in the study rarely drove aggressively.

The study's authors said it is imperative for parents to promote safe behavior for their teen drivers. Rules regarding the number of passengers and driving within the speed limit can help minimize the number of car accidents caused by teens.

Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Risky business: Teens driving with other teens," Joel Provano, Jan. 24, 2012