Teenagers say that being in a crash while texting and driving is the single most effective way to reduce the deadly practice, followed closely by knowing someone who was involved in such a crash, according to a new survey of teen attitudes.

That unsettling news in the nation's battle against distracted driving is counterbalanced by a more actionable finding: More than 80% of teens believe that tougher penalties for those caught texting while driving and heavier police enforcement also are deterrents.

Insurer State Farm commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct the July telephone survey of 650 14- to 18-year-olds. It has a margin of error of /-4.5 percentage points.

"I find that encouraging," Chris Mullen, State Farm's director of technology research, says of the teens' attitudes on penalties and enforcement. "We know that in states with strong graduated driving licensing (phased-in privileges for teen drivers), along with effective enforcement of those laws, that that is effective in reducing teen driving crashes by up to 40%."

In some states that have laws against texting while driving, the fine is as cheap as a night at the movies: $20 in California, $25 in Kentucky, $30 in Iowa for a first offense. Those fines can increase substantially with court costs and subsequent violations.

"We agree with the teens," says Jonathan Adkins, spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association. "Tough laws that are visibly and aggressively enforced are the most effective deterrent to texting and driving by teens and other drivers. Parents also play a key role and must be the first line of defense. Regardless of the law, a parent needs to forbid their teen from texting and driving and follow up any offenses with punishment, including taking away the keys."

Navea Frazier, 18, who was involved in a minor crash caused by a distracted driver when she was in third grade, says: "I don't think (penalties) are high enough at all. I think eventually it'll be more along the lines of the fines for drunk driving, because distracted driving can be just as bad."

That view is shared by Angela and Alan Hefter of Palmdale, Calif., whose 18-year-old son, Jacob, was one of 25 people killed Sept. 12, 2008, when the Metrolink train they were riding crashed head-on with a freight train in Los Angeles. Federal investigators determined that the train's engineer was distracted by text messages he was sending.

"The fines are not very expensive," says Alan Hefter, 52, a truck driver who with his wife started the Jacob Hefter Foundation to promote teen driving safety. "If they make the fines higher, people are going to take it more to heart."

Attitudes on texting and driving

What teens say will make them stop texting while driving:

96% — being in a crash caused by texting and driving

92% — knowing someone in a crash caused by texting and driving

90% — having a “close call” while texting and driving

84% — higher penalties for those caught texting while driving

83% — more enforcement of texting and driving laws

75% — rewards for not texting and driving

65% — hearing information from parents or guardians

64% — hearing information from their friends

61% — seeing information about texting and driving

Source: State Farm/Harris Interactive Survey

State Farm's new Celebrate My Drive effort aims to take a positive approach to eliminating teen texting while driving. The campaign will award 14 $100,000 grants to high schools across the USA on Sept. 15 and new Chevy Sonics to 14 teens.

© 2012 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.