Study: Distracted Teen Driving Far Worse Than Previously Thought

TAMPA, Fla. (CBS) -- Distracted driving plays a far greater role in crashes involving teen drivers than previously understood, according to a new study.

AAA looked at nearly 1,700 videos of teenage drivers in the moments before moderate to severe crashes. Distracted driving was a factor in almost six out of 10 of them, the study found.

Previous government estimates had found distraction to be a factor in less than 15 percent of teen crashes.

"Access to crash videos has allowed us to better understand the moments leading up to a vehicle impact in a way that was previously impossible," said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "The in-depth analysis provides indisputable evidence that teen drivers are distracted in a much greater percentage of crashes than we previously realized."

Distraction factored in to 58 percent of all crashes, according to the study, including 89 percent of road-departure crashes and 76 percent of rear-end crashes.

AAA Southerm New England's John Paul said that in a lot of the cases that he looked at, the teenagers took no action whatsoever.

"They didn't try to take evasive maneuvers they didn't try to step on the brakes," he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030. "They just sort of let the crash happen because they were involved in whatever they were doing."

Here's the AAA list of the most common forms of distraction in a crash:

• Interacting with one or more passengers: 15 percent of crashes
• Cell phone use: 12 percent of crashes
• Looking at something in the vehicle: 10 percent of crashes
• Looking at something outside the vehicle: 9 percent of crashes
• Singing/moving to music: 8 percent of crashes
• Grooming: 6 percent of crashes
• Reaching for an object: 6 percent of crashes

Teen crashes caused 2,865 deaths in 2013, AAA said. They're urging parents to talk to their teenagers about distracted driving.

Massachusetts is one of 43 states that bans texting and driving. It's illegal to send, type or read any text messages while behind the wheel. Fines start at $100 dollars and go up to $500.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mary Blake reports: