Involvement by young drivers in fatal motor-vehicle crashes--United States, 1988-1995

Motor-vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of death for persons aged 15-20 years in the United States. Although the 11.9 million young drivers aged 15-20 years constituted only 6.7% of the total number of licensed drivers in the United States during 1995, they represented a disproportionate 14% of all drivers involved in fatal MVCs. In addition, adjusting for the number of miles driven, rates of fatal crashes were higher for young drivers than for drivers in any other age group (e.g., the rate for 16-year-olds was 18 times that for persons aged 30-34 years). This report summarizes trends in involvement in fatal MVCs by drivers aged 15-20 years during 1988-1995; these findings document an overall decline in involvement by young drivers in fatal crashes in the United States.