Automobile death rates for teenagers continues to increase

Vehicular crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages 15 to 20, Assuras reports. Fifteen of them die every day because of inexperience behind the wheel, excessive speed, too many passengers in the car, or alcohol.

“This is an epidemic,� frets Jeffrey Runge, who heads the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and is a doctor himself. He understands the numbers all too well, and reaches out to students about driving safely.

“We’re talking 1,400 injuries a day, 15 deaths a day,â€� Runge says. “It’s not only the personal cost. There’s a huge economic cost. Every brain injury, we believe, costs society about a million dollars.â€�

The Transportation Department hopes a new public service announcement will hammer home the message to teens that it is, in fact, cool to drive safely.