Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people from age 15 through 18 years old.
Females have a lower fatality rate than their male counterparts.
The risk of fatal injury for 16 and 17 year old drivers increases with the number of passengers in the vehicle they are driving. No other single ages but these five recorded over 1,000 fatalities. In 1998, speeding was recorded as a factor in 38 percent of fatal crashes involving 15 through 18 year old male drivers. In 1998, only 37 percent of speeding passenger vehicle drivers ages 15 through 18 involved in fatal crashes were wearing safety belts at the time of the crash. For young drivers involved in fatal crashes, alcohol involvement is a factor more often for males than females.