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Most teens are taking notice of warnings on drinking and driving, a new U.S. study shows.

But they are confronted with a host of other behind-the-wheel distractions that contribute to thousands of fatal crashes every year, researchers said.

Ninety percent of teenaged survey respondents said they rarely or never drive after drinking or using drugs, according to the study released Thursday.

The findings reflect a trend that has seen teen traffic deaths involving alcohol drop by about 35 per cent from 1990 to 2005, according to U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration information.

But the study found they routinely face driving distractions that researchers say help make traffic accidents the No. 1 killer of U.S. teens, with a fatality rate four times higher than drivers aged 25-69, based on kilometres driven.

The 2006 survey was conducted by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Co.

The survey found teens often get behind the wheel despite the sort of commotion, anxiety or fatigue that would be challenging even for more mature motorists, chief investigator Dr. Flaura Winston said.

"We need to go beyond the message of drinking and driving and also talk about the message of distractions," Winston, a pediatrician with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Associated Press.

The survey of more than 5,600 students was a scientific sampling of the 10.6 million students in public high schools across the U.S.

Researchers also found that one teenager passenger with a teen driver doubles the risk of a fatal crash, while the risk becomes five times higher when two or more ride along.

Other findings from the survey:

• 93 per cent said they see other peers riding with teenage drivers -- often singing, bouncing in their seat or "acting wild"
• 92 per cent reported seeing teen drivers speeding
• 89 per cent reported seeing teen drivers chatting on cellphones
• 85 per cent reported loud music from cars of teen drivers
• 79 per cent said they see teens sing and even dance while driving
• 76 per cent said they see teens drive while struggling with negative emotions related to failing grades or relationships, while 74 per cent reported seeing teen drivers who were experiencing jubilant emotions
• 75 per cent said they see teens drive while fatigued
• 68 per cent said they see teens smoking cigarettes while driving
• 53 per cent said they see teens using hand-held games, listening devices or sending text messages while driving
• 48 per cent reported seeing teens drive after drinking
• 38 per cent said they have seen teens get behind the wheel after smoking marijuana

A research associate with the Traffic Injury Research Foundation says the numbers of drinking-and-driving incidents are also declining in Canada.

"As a national trend we are seeing the numbers decline, certainly over the last 10 years people in general are getting the message," Deanna Singhal told Â鶹ӰÊÓnet.

But teens need to become just as aware of the dangers associated with distracted driving, she said.

They can easily lose focus while driving because their psychomotor skills aren't as developed as more seasoned drivers, Singhal added.

"Young drivers are not as experienced as older drivers ... it requires a greater cognitive capacity for them to drive -- their psychomotor skills for driving still are not up to par," she said.

"So they don't have a lot of that spare cognitive capacity left over that more experienced drivers would have to handle extra conversations, or other types of activity going on in the vehicle," she said.

Researchers of the study say they will use their findings to push for U.S. legislation such as more stringent requirements for graduated drivers licenses, which can include mandated supervised driving with parents, curfews for night driving and limitations on passengers.

With files from The Associated Press