The leading cause of death among teenagers is automobile crashes, according to a new study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The six-year study also revealed that of the 10,000 children killed in car accidents, 54 percent were in a car with a teen driver. Drivers ages 15 and 20 account for only 7 percent of the driving population, but are involved in 14 percent of all accidents.

The three risk factors for death by automobile are riding without a seat belt, riding with a newly licensed teenaged driver, and driving at a high rate of speed. Over 75 percent of crashes occurred at speeds over 45 mph, and 66 percent of the young passengers killed were not wearing seat belts.

The study was conducted through State Farm Automobile Insurance.

Labels: car_crashes, death, driving

A survey from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program found that one in four drivers ages 16 to 17 years old was involved in an automobile crash in 2006. Drivers ages 16 to 19 years old also had the highest number of driving fatalities.

Several factors contribute to the high accident rate among teenage drivers. Alcohol was one important risk: 28% of the teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were legally drunk. Other factors are lack of sleep, lack of supervision, driving after 9 PM, moving away from home, and having passengers in the automobile.

People ages 15 to 20 years old are only 8.4% of the population and 6.3% of all licensed drivers, yet they make up 13.6% of drivers involved in major automobile accidents.

Labels: death, driving, safety