Cellphones, other electronics cause as much as 25 percent of crashes

It's no surprise that distracted driving is a common cause of car accidents, but just what's distracting drivers may come as somewhat of a shock. According to a recent report released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 25 percent of crashes are caused by electronic devices.

According to Reuters, while distractions caused by talking and texting on cellphones is not too surprising, what the report found was that there was no evidence that proved that hands free devices lowered the risk. Additionally, texting was found to be a much larger factor in crashes than simply talking.

"While distracted driving is an emotional issue that raises the ire of many on the road, states must take a research-based approach to addressing the problem," GHSA Executive Director Barbar Harsha said in a statement. "Until more research is conducted, states need to proceed thoughtfully, methodically and objectively."

The report was complied after analyzing hundreds of papers on the subject that have been written since 2000. It also concluded that there should be a ban on cellphone use (hands-free or not) for inexperienced drivers.