Preventing teen motor crashes: contributions from the behavioral and social sciences and summary of the report of the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.

Motor vehicle crashes involving teenagers have become a critical public health problem in the United States. For 16-20 year olds, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death in 2003 when passenger and pedestrian deaths were factored in. Helping promote more responsible teen driving is the focus of public health efforts to reduce motor vehicle crashes involving teen drivers. Research into motor vehicle crashes involving teenagers is needed for this to happen. A National Research Council (NRC) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) report summary is presented by the authors, as well as information on what is occurring in the behavioral and social science fields. A charge to the NRC/IOM Board of Children, Youth, and Families; synthesis, coordination, and application efforts; and specific research needs are discussed.