If you're one of those people who just can't drive without your cell phone glued to your ear, your makeup in hand, or a sandwich in your mouth, now there's even more reason to consider avoiding those dangerous behaviors.

A new study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has revealed some surprising statistics that lend credence to what we already know about these distracting behaviors—they're even more dangerous than we originally thought.

According to an article in CNN.com today , "Almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes happen within three seconds of some form of driver distraction."

Among the study's specific findings:

• Reaching for a moving object multiplies the risk of a crash or near-crash by nine times.


• Dialing a handheld device triples the risk of accident (cell phones are the most common distraction).


• Drowsy drivers are four times more likely to have a crash or near-crash as drivers who are more alert.


• Drivers between 18 and 20 are four times as likely to have attention-related crashes and near-crashes as those over 35.


• "Rubbernecking" near a crash doubles a driver's chances of having an accident.

Next time you're tempted to reach for your cell phone or discipline your kids while driving, you might want to think twice. Pulling over or waiting til you get where you're going could save your life—and keep everyone on the road safer.