It’s common knowledge that texting while driving is dangerous. But what happens when teens with ADHD text while driving? A dangerous situation becomes even more dangerous.

Researchers from the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati recently tested the driving performance of 61 16- and 17-year olds, half of whom had been diagnosed with ADHD. According to an article in Medical News Today, the results showed, “Texting significantly affected drivers’ speed and lane position for all study participants and further increased the risk for drivers with ADHD.”

This study, believed to be the first to look at the impact of texting on driving safety among teens with ADHD, also showed that even without distractions teens with ADHD drove more erratically than the control group. Texting only added to the variability in speed and lane position, doubling the amount of time drivers with ADHD strayed.

Jeffrey N. Epstein, PhD, lead author of the study and director of the Center for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital suggested the findings from the study support efforts to ban texting while driving. “Teens as a group are already at increased risk of distracted driving accidents. Now we know that an ADHD diagnosis and texting while driving increase those risks. Our results demonstrate the need for increased education and enforcement of regulations against texting while driving for this age group.”

What’s a Parent to Do?

Texting is not the only concern for teen drivers. According to a report from the AAA in 2013 almost a million teens were involved in traffic accidents, resulting in 373,645 injuries and 2,927 deaths. And the number may be even higher as some experts believe teen accidents often go unreported.

What can you as a parent do to protect your child (and others) on the road? Below are a few common-sense suggestions from Bruce Feiler, author of The New York Times article, “Teenager Drivers: Be Very Afraid.”

1. Limit passengers. The addition of even one more nonfamily member in a vehicle with a teen driver increases the crash rate 44%. Many states restrict passengers when kids are learning to drive, but too often parents disregard the rule once the learning period is over. According to Dr. Nichole Morris, a researcher at the HumanFIRST Laboratory, “That’s a huge mistake. Even if your state drops the nonfamiliar-passenger restriction after six months, parents should make it their own rule.”

2. Turn off notifications. Beeps or ringtones on a phone are enticing distractions, even when the phone is stowed in the glovebox or a backpack. Experts suggest blocking notifications while driving.

3. Use a dashboard phone mount. Feiler advises that “If your child insists on using the phone for navigation or listening to music, the research suggests there’s only one safe place for it to be: in a dock, at eye level, on the dashboard. The worst places? The cup holder, the driver’s lap, the passenger’s seat. “The issue is taking your eyes off the road; anything over two seconds poses a serious danger.”

4. Enforce rules against drinking and driving. While technology has introduced new risks for teen drivers, risks associated with drinking and driving have not decreased. In 2013 nearly 33% of teen drivers killed in auto accidents had been drinking. Safety experts also warn that late night driving increases accident risks as well.

5. Load up on safety features. Morris encourages parents to adopt as many car safety features as possible. “I know it’s expensive for parents, but any advanced safety feature is well worth the money and peace of mind.”

6. Be involved. Morris is clear on the importance of parental involvement: “Our studies show that the more the parent is involved when a teen is learning, the lower their chances are for a crash. That means asking questions, supervising them, giving them opportunities on different types of roads under different conditions.” The mistake parents often make, she said, is thinking, “Finally I don’t have to car-pool you everywhere!”