It's well-known that texting and driving poses serious safety issues to ourselves and others, but that doesn't stop a significant percentage of drivers in the U.S. that engage in this and similar distracted driving behaviors, particularly when the person behind the wheel is a Millenial.

According to the results of a recent study carried out by the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg Center for the Digital Future and Bovitz, Inc., it's found that large numbers of Americans of all ages agree that sending or checking e-mail or texts behind the wheel is unsafe. However, the study shows that "unsettling" numbers of drivers -- especially Millenials -- report that they frequently or always engage in these distracted driving behaviors.

"Large majorities recognize the dangers of texting while driving, but we found disturbing differences in actual behavior based on age," said Jeffrey I. Cold, director of the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future.

Taking a look at some specific statistics unearthed by the study, 87 percent of drivers overall say that texting and driving is unsafe, although Millenials (those between 18-34 years old) are somewhat less likely to believe that these dangers exist, with only 81 percent acknowledging them.

While a significantly high percentage of drivers assured researchers that distracted driving behaviors are bad news, the 904 individuals that were involved in this study didn't always practice what they preached.

The study shows that 18 percent of overall drivers say that they can't resist the urge to send or check online messages while they drive, despite the dangers of doing so and awareness of illegality of such behavior.

Eight percent of those surveyed say they text and drive always or often, and, of this group, the Millenials are the biggest offenders. Of this subset of drivers, 17 percent of Millenials say they always or often text and drive, in comparison to 4 percent of non-Millenials.

In terms of awareness of dangers associated with texting and driving, all participants in the study were asked if checking online messages behind the wheel is dangerous. It was found that 95 percent of drivers age 55 or older agreed or strongly agreed on the dangers, while only 81 percent of Millenials acknowledged that these behaviors are hazardous.

"What's unsettling is that the youngest group reported the lowest level of agreement that using online technology while driving is dangerous, even though they are most likely to have been recently taught about these issues in safety courses or driver education," Cole said.

For the latest news & updates, follow reporter Bary Alyssa Johnson on Twitter: @MissBary