Look for more information in the mail as the day quickly approaches. The findings appear in The Journal of the American Medical Association, and the authors urge greater use of graduated licensing systems that restrict young drivers' ability to carry passengers. The lead author, Li-Hui Chen of the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins, said researchers could only speculate about explanations, but the study noted earlier research that linked reckless driving and peer pressure. Her study did not determine how many of the teenagers had been drinking or the precise role the passengers might have played in the crashes. With two passengers, the fatality rate was 86 percent higher than with no passengers, and with three or more passengers, it was 28 percent higher than with no passengers.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death among American teenagers.
The increased risk of death reported in the study was significant across the board, regardless of time of day or the sex of the driver, although it was especially bad for male drivers and late at night. The researchers reached their conclusions after reviewing federal statistics on road deaths. Upward Bound is College Bound.