Are cell phones to blame for most accidents

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Highlights from the article:

Cell phones are the distraction that people love to hate, but researchers said on Wednesday that drivers were preoccupied more often with the radio, eating, or combing their hair while behind the wheel.

In the first study to use in-car video cameras to record driving habits, a research group funded by the automobile club AAA found all 70 motorists it watched were distracted at some point by conditions inside and outside the vehicle during a three-hour period.

"People often underestimate the seriousness of distractions because not every distraction leads to a crash," said Peter Kissinger, president of the AAA's traffic safety foundation. "But if you are distracted just when someone pulls out in front of you, your lack of attention can be catastrophic."

An estimated 25 percent of all traffic crashes are caused by distractions, highway safety figures show.

Almost all the drivers manipulated music or audio controls, while 71 percent ate or drank. About half groomed themselves and 40 percent read or wrote. Most of the reading and writing and a third of grooming occurred when the car was stopped.

Grooming included using a toothpick, taking pills, applying lipstick and combing hair. For reading and writing, the researchers observed drivers writing in their checkbooks or flipping through newspapers or mail.

Researchers said older drivers engaged in less distracting behavior, but no age group was immune.