"But also we're very concerned about the fact that not only are we drinking our coffee and we're disciplining our children and we're eating sandwiches in the car, but the proliferation of technologies in the vehicle have just exacerbated the amount of time that drivers are distracted," she said.

in northern Virginia and metropolitan Washington, D.C., equipped with video and sensorsThey tracked 241 drivers, who were involved in 82 crashes of various degrees of seriousness — 15 were reported to police — and 761 near-crashes.

Called the 100-Car Study, the massive research project analyzed nearly 2 million miles driven and more than 43,300 hours of data.

"The huge database developed through this breakthrough study is enormously valuable in helping us to understand — and prevent — motor vehicle crashes," said Dr. Tom Dingus, the institute's director.

But Utah officials caution that a study alone won't stop crashes. Improving road safety won't stop all crashes either. Drivers need to do their part, said Hull.

"From an engineering standpoint, there is only so much we can do," he said. "We can't change behavior and we need to point out that there is much the public can do to help this themselves."

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Contributing: Nicole Warburton