Abstract
Motor vehicle death rates in the United States have declined dramatically during the past 2 decades as a result of technological improvements in vehicles and roadways, increased seat belt use, and decreased alcohol-impaired driving.However, countering this trend, death rates for 16-year-old drivers have increased. Young beginning drivers in the United States currently constitute a serious threat not only to their own lives, but also to those of their passengers and other motorists with whom they share the roadways. A substantial proportion of persons killed or injured in crashes caused by 16-year-old drivers are occupants of other vehicles. (A)