A terrifying example of how distracted some teenagers get when they're driving

Being distracted while driving probably isn't an exclusive trait of teenagers, but this video still highlights just how big a problem it is.

Described as the most "comprehensive research ever conducted into crash videos of teenage drivers", this video shows a selection of the 1,700 accidents analysed by the American Automobile Association (AAA) - with teenage drivers using their mobile phones, chatting with friends and not paying attention to the road ahead.

Using dashboard cameras, researchers found that distraction was a factor in 58 per cent of all the crashes they studied - far higher than previous estimates.

The AAA has focused on teenagers because they have the highest crash rate of any age group in the US. In order to combat the problem, the study recommends that parents, who "play a critical role in preventing distracted driving", should lay a set of ground rules with their children when they start to learn to drive.

Watch the video below:

More: Teenagers’ brains actually shut down when their parents are talking to them, says science