In 2000, there were more than 60 million children under 15 years old in the USA. This age group (0-14 years) made up 21% of the total USA resident population in 2000 (2001 data not available). Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children of every age from 4 to 14 years old (based on 1998 figures, which are the latest mortality data currently available from the National Center for Health Statistics). This traffic safety fact sheet contains statistics on children killed or injured in traffic crashes in 2001 (including previous years). In 2001, there were a total of 42,116 traffic fatalities in the USA. The 0-14 age group accounted for 5% (2,197) of those traffic fatalities. In addition, children under 15 years old accounted for 4% (1,579) of all vehicle occupant fatalities, 9% (267,000) of all the people injured in motor vehicle crashes, and 8% (228,000) of all the vehicle occupants injured in crashes.
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