A study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that distractions – especially cellphones and passengers play a huge role in teen driver accidents, and a far greater role than was previously understood, according to new evidence.

The study analyzed over 1,600 videos that captured what was happening inside vehicles, seconds before teen drivers crashed. Unsurprisingly, the study found that distraction was a factor in nearly 6 out of 10 crashes that were categorized as moderate to severe.

What's so impressive about these figures? That number is four times greater than many earlier estimates based on police reports.

Researchers Examine Over 6,842 Videos

This study is unique because researchers don't normally have access to crash videos that show exactly what drivers were doing seconds before impact.

AAA examined over 6,842 videos from cameras that were installed inside vehicles – cameras which simultaneously showed the driver and the view out of the windshield.

The videos were obtained from Lytx Inc., which has programs that use video footage to coach drivers on driving behaviors so they can reduce collisions. The videos showed that driver distraction contributed to 58% of the teens' crashes, especially in rear-end collisions and run off the road cases.

Most common forms of distraction were talking to passengers, and using a cellphone, including reading and sending messages, and talking.

Other forms of distraction:

• Looking at something inside the vehicle – 10%
• Looking at something outside the vehicle, not the road – 9%
• Singing or moving to music – 8%
• Grooming – 6%
• Reaching for an object – 6%

Previously, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that driver distraction was only responsible for 14% of teen driver accidents.

The latest evidence from the videos provide indisputable evidence that teen drivers are far more distracted than traffic safety experts previously believed. Were you injured by a distracted teen driver? Look through our directory to find a car accident attorney!