Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 15 to 24.

Is it true that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 15 to 24?

Partly. Several sources partially support the claim: a 2026 study says motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of injury and death among U.S. teens (ages 15-19), a 2012 article cites them as leading cause of death for ages 2-34, and a 2022 paper ranks them above firearms for child and adolescent deaths. However, a Wikipedia reference says crashes are the leading cause of preventable death only for ages 5-22 and second for 23-67, and a 1983 source attributes the 15-24 leading cause to injuries generally, not specifically crashes.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 5 sources for, 1 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

DM, R., E, A., S, B., M, Z., CJ, S., & J, Y. (2026). Sex and racial/ethnic disparities in motor vehicle crash fatalities among U.S. Teens aged 15-19 years, 2015-2023.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1760179

Motor vehicle fatality rate in U.S. by year. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in_U.S._by_year

Factors associated with pediatric mortality from motor vehicle crashes in the U.S.: A state-based analysis - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.04.044

J., L. E. (2012). Teaching Technology by Assessing Vehicle Safety. eric.ed.gov. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ994497

Wong, S., Sudanagunta, S., Gilchrist, E., & Haasz, M. (2022). Policy pathways to address American youth firearm injury and death.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.20.s1.2726

Health protection: Accident prevention and injury control.. (1983). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6444193