Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
More 8- to 17-year-olds die in automobile accidents than from any other cause, and more die in crashes than from malignant tumors, homicide and suicide combined, according to this article. Researchers found the top reasons for the death of young passengers were riding with drivers under the age of 16, failing to wear seatbelts and riding in cars driven at a high rate of speed.
Among the almost 10,000 automotive deaths of 8- to 17-year-olds that occurred between 2000 and 2005, more than half involved drivers younger than 20. To conduct the study, researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia partnered with and received financial support from State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. Free, four pages. (800) 262-2350, http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/162/3/253.
