Motor vehicle injuries and deaths are the greatest problem facing children today.  In fact, they are the leading cause of death among both children and adolescents. Motor vehicle deaths include all deaths occurring to children who are drivers, passengers, pedestrians or other types of occupants in a form of transport.  This includes cars, trucks, bicycles, trains, snowmobiles, buses and all-terrain vehicles.

Children Under 16

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional death for children over the age of one in the U.S. and Michigan.  Every day an average of five children, ages 0-14, are killed and another 693 are injured in motor vehicle crashes across the U.S., while in Michigan on average, two to three children die each week.

Child restraints are considered the single most valuable tool in preventing these deaths, but they must be used and used correctly.  Properly installed child safety seats reduce deaths by 70% for children under age one, and by 55% for toddlers ages 1-4.

Booster seats are especially important to prevent deaths in children ages 4-8. Using a booster seat with a seat belt instead of a seat belt alone reduces a child’s risk of injury by 59% for children in this age group.  Yet, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, only 8.6% of Michigan children ages four to eight ride in booster seats.  Children less than four feet, nine inches tall and weighing less than 80 pounds generally do not fit safely in seat belts.  Booster seats raise a child's sitting height so that the lap belt fits across the tops of the thighs instead of the abdomen, and the shoulder strap fits across the collarbone instead of the neck.

Children are also at risk outside of vehicles.  In 2001, 622 child bicyclists were killed in the United States.  Children under the age of 16 accounted for 143 (23%) of these fatalities, making this one of the most frequent cause of injury-related death for young children. Research has shown that universal bicycle helmet use by children ages 4-15 would significantly reduce deaths and injuries.  National data indicate that bicycle helmets are 85-88% effective in decreasing the severity of head and brain injuries, making the use of bicycle helmets the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from bicycle crashes.

The rate of child death and injury on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in the U.S. has sky-rocketed in the last several years.  According to the CPSC, between 1993 and 2002, serious ATV-related injuries to children under 16 more than doubled.  During this same time period, children under 16 accounted for 37% of all injuries and 33% of all deaths on ATVs in the U.S.

Children 16 and Older

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the U.S. and in Michigan, totaling an average of one fatality an hour on weekends and one fatality ever two hours on weekdays. This rate is three times the average rate for drivers aged 25-64 years.  In 2002, 7,410 young people (passengers and drivers ages 15-24) died in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S.  Seventy-six percent of those who died were aged 16-20 years. Young people ages 15-20 make up 6.4% of the total driving population in this country but are involved in 18% of all fatal crashes.

Teen drivers, by definition, are inexperienced drivers.  Their inexperience compounds a number of risk factors that places them at increased risk for fatalities. In 2001, teens were four times more likely to be in a motor vehicle crash than were older drivers. This difference is not only attributed to teens’ inexperience behind the wheel, but also to an increased likelihood of risk-taking behavior and a greater risk exposure.   These risks, as identified from national data include:

The risk of injury or death greatly increases for teens when they ride in a car with a new teen driver.  Two out of three teens who die as passengers are in vehicles driven by other teens.  The young drivers in these situations are also at increased risk.  One study found that 16-year-olds driving with one teen passenger were 39% more likely to get killed than those driving alone.  This percentage increased to 86% with two and 182% with three or more teen passengers. The rates increased even more with 17-year-old drivers: 48% with one teen passenger, 158% with two and a 207% increase with three or more teen passengers.  The study theorized that “general foolishness and distractions” increased with each additional teen passenger, which, when coupled with their inexperience, was responsible for these findings.