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Motor Vehicle Injury
Teen drivers, and in particular male teen drivers,
are at great risk of motor vehicle occupancy injury
or death (1).
- in 2002, two out of five deaths among U.S. teens are caused
by motor vehicle accidents.
- More than in 5,000 deaths among teens aged 16-19
in 2002.
- In 2002, the motor vehicle death rate for male occupants age 16 to 19 was nearly twice that of their female counterparts (23 per 100,000 compared with 12 per 100,000).
The estimated economic cost of police-reported crashes
(fatal and nonfatal) involving drivers aged 15 to 20
was $40.8 billion in 2002 (2).
Teens are more vulnerable to accidents because (4):
- They are more likely than older drivers to underestimate
the dangers in hazardous situations;
- They have less experience coping
with such situations.
- They are more likely than older drivers to speed,
run red lights, make illegal turns, ride with an
intoxicated driver, and drive after using alcohol
or drugs.
- In 2001, 14% of high school students reported they
rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone
else.
- Male high school students were more likely than
female students to rarely or never wear seat belts
(18% compared with 10% respectively).
- African American students (16%) were more likely
than white students (14%) to rarely or never wear
seat belts.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause
of death among younger children (<14) in the United
States.
- In 2003, 1,591 U.S. children aged 14 years and younger
died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes.
- Approximately 220,000 were injured (5). That equates
to an average of 4 deaths and more than 600 injuries
each day.
- Of children aged 14 years and younger who were fatally
injured in 2003, 50% were completely unrestrained (2).
Most of these injuries could have been prevented.
- Child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger
cars by about 70% for infants and by about 55% for
children aged 1 to 4 years (2).
- Restraint use among young children often depends
upon the driver’s restraint use.
- Almost 40% of children riding with unbelted drivers
were themselves unrestrained (5a).
- Many children who do ride in child safety seats
are improperly secured. A survey of more than 17,500
children found that only 15% of children in safety
seats were correctly harnessed into correctly installed
seats (5b).
The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration recommends
- Booster seats for children over 40 pounds until
at least age 8 (2). For children 4 to 7 years, belt-positioning
booster seats reduce injury risk by 59% compared to
safety belts alone (5c).
- For children aged 8 years and older, car seat belts
reduce injury risk by about 50% (2).
- All children aged 12 years and younger should ride
in the back seat. This eliminates the injury risk of
deployed front passenger-side airbags and places children
in the safest part of the vehicle in the event of a
crash. Riding in the back seat is associated with a
46% reduction in the risk of fatal injury in cars with
a front passenger-side airbag and at least a 30% reduction
in the risk of fatal injury in cars with no front passenger-side
airbag (5d).
Of the 484 pedestrian deaths among children 15 years
and younger in 2001, 45% occurred between 3 pm and 7
pm (2).
Children are at increased risk for pedestrian
injuries for several reasons (2):
- Their smaller size makes them difficult for drivers
to see, especially if they are standing between parked
cars on the side of the road.
- Because young children are often unable to judge
distances and vehicle speeds accurately, they can easily
misjudge whether it is safe to cross a street.
- Parents can overestimate their child’s ability
to cross the street. Many elementary school-age children
don’t understand traffic signals and don’t
know how to anticipate a driver’s actions.
- Drivers and child pedestrians each assume (incorrectly)
that the other will yield the right-of-way.
Healthy People 2010 Objectives Related to Motor
Vehicle Injuries
Healthy People 2010 objectives Related to Motor Vehicle Injuries:
- 15-15: Deaths from Motor Vehicle Crashes
- 15-16: Pedestrian Deaths
- 15-17: Nonfatal Motor Vehicle Injuries
- 15-18: Nonfatal Pedestrian Injuries
- 15-19: Safety Belts
- 15-20: Child Restraints
- 15-21: Motorcycle Helmet Use
- 15-22: Graduated Driver Licensing
- 15-23: Bicycle Helmet Use
- 15-24: Bicycle Helmet Laws
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cited 2004, Dec 13.)
2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
2003. Dept. of Transportation (US). Traffic Safety
Facts 2002: Young Drivers. Washington (DC): NHTSA.
[cited 2003 Nov 13].
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
2003. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting
System (WISQARS). National Center for Injury Prevention
and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(producer). [Cited
15 Nov 2003].
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
2004. Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
2004. Child Passenger Safety.
5a. Cody, 2002 in CDC, 2004. Child Passenger Safety.
5b. Taft, 1999 in CDC, 2004. Child Passenger Safety.
5c. Durbin, 2003 in CDC, 2004. Child Passenger Safety
5d. Braver, 1998 in CDC, 2004, Child Passenger Safety.
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Adolescent
& Child Targets for Health Foundation, Inc. 
