New research from AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety out Wednesday finds that distracted driving is a factor in nearly 6 out of 10 moderate-to-severe crashes involving teenage drivers, dramatically higher than first thought.

A video analysis of nearly 1,700 videos of teen drivers taken from in-vehicle recorders that captured the six seconds of teen drivers' actions leading up to a crash found distraction was a factor in 58 percent of all crashes studied, including 89 percent of road-departure crashes and 76 percent of rear-end crashes.

That's four times higher than previous data indicated. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association previously has estimated that distraction is a factor in only 14 percent of all teen driver 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."

According to the research, the most common forms of distraction leading up to a crash by a teen driver included:

  • 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

"It is troubling that passengers and cell phones were the most common forms of distraction given that these factors can increase crash risks for teen drivers," said AAA CEO Bob Darbelnet. "The situation is made worse by the fact that young drivers have spent less time behind the wheel and cannot draw upon their previous experience to manage unsafe conditions."

Researchers found that drivers manipulating their cell phone (includes calling, texting or other uses), had their eyes off the road for an average of 4.1 out of the final six seconds leading up to a crash. The researchers also measured reaction times in rear-end crashes and found that teen drivers using a cell phone failed to react more than half of the time before the impact, meaning they crashed without braking or steering.

"It is our hope that these findings serve to remind drivers of all ages that distracted driving is dangerous and sometimes deadly. Practicing safer skills behind the wheel can save lives," said Brandon Nixon, CEO of Lyxt, the company that furnished the videos that made the study possible.

Even without distractions, teens have the highest crash rate of any group in the United States. About 963,000 drivers age 16-19 were involved in police-reported crashes in 2013, which is the most recent year of available data. These crashes resulted in 383,000 injuries and 2,865 deaths, AAA said.