Show reen seen drivers wreak havoc on selves society Kimberly Martinez Contributing Writer Automobile crashes are the leading cause of serious injury and death among American teenagers In 2002 more than US U.S. teens ages 16 to 19 died of injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes and two out of five deaths among US U.S. teens are the result of a motor vehicle e crash according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention I got in my first car accident one week after getting my license said year old Monica Romero According to a 2005 study by bythe bythe bythe the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16 to year olds than among any other age group In fact per mile driven teen drivers drivers drivers dri dri- vers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash I think that teenagers should get their license at age 18 when they are more mature said Megan Stahl mother of ofa a teenage driver In 2003 25 percent of drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had a blood alcohol concentration level of or higher according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration I had gotten a DUI for drinking and driving It was two months after I had gotten my license said 17 year old Sean Peterson I think that male teenage drivers are more reckless than females said year old Lisa Patterson The stats scats tend to io agree with her assessment Among the male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2003 39 percent were speeding at the time of the crash according to the Male high school students 22 percent were more likely than female students 15 percent percent percent per per- cent to rarely or never wear seat belts American African-American teens 21 percent and Hispanic teens 20 percent were more likely than white students 17 percent to rarely or never wear seat belts according to the year old Marcus Flores said I will admit I hardly ever wear my seat belt although I know I should |