Summer time means school is out, and for some high school aged kids, that means more time spent driving, and the RCMP want to remind you to be safe out there.

With one in every five new drivers on the road being involved in a collision in their first five years of being behind the wheel, Alberta’s RCMP members want new drivers to create safe driving habits, and carry them along for their entire driving life.

Spokesman for the RCMP/Sheriff Integrated Traffic Unit Constable Mike Hibbs says their focus is on young driver education, so they can continue healthy driving habits for the rest of their lives.

"We just want to get the message out early to the young kids... with July vacations are on, school is out for the summer, so our highways are going to get very very busy from here until the end of the summer. So we want to get that message across that distracted driving, even taking your eyes off the road for a split second, can certainly cause a collision."

Hibbs goes on to say that distracted driving does not solely mean being on your cell phone while behind the wheel. It also covers things such as personal grooming, reading, adjusting your radio settings, and having your pets on your lap while driving, which is starting to become increasingly common.

According to Alberta's Ministry of Transportation, along with one in five new drivers being involved in a collision in their first five years of driving, young male drivers (age 22-34) have the highest distracted driving conviction rates, distracted drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a collision than attentive drivers, and fatal collisions involving young drivers occur most often in September and July (2011-2015).