Injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults and the leading cause of potential life lost before age 65. In 2005, more than 170,000 Americans of all ages died from injuries from motor vehicle crashes, suicide, falls, poisonings, drownings, fires and other causes.

Because of its impact on the health of all Americans--young and old--injury is a serious public health problem. And like diseases, injuries are preventable. Strategies to prevent injuries, which focus on everything from how roads are designed to parenting education, have been highly successful. For example, 240,000 lives were saved between 1966 and 1990 because of improved motor vehicle and highway design, increased use of safety belts and motorcycle helmets, and enforcement of laws regarding drinking and driving and speeding.

State laws that require graduated driver's licenses, which place restrictions on new drivers, also have led to significant reductions in motor vehicle crashes.

Although learning to drive is a rite of passage for American teenagers, it also is a time filled with danger. Young people die in car crashes three times more than from firearms, the second most common cause of death. To protect these young drivers, a comprehensive graduated driver's licensing (GDL) system is a good first step toward reducing such tragedies. In this Healthy States tool kit, find out more about GDL systems, why GDL laws are needed and what state legislators can do to improve state GDL laws. In the Graduated Driver Licensing Tool Kit you will find:

• Policy Overview
• What Works
• Passenger Restrictions
• Nighttime Driving Restrictions
• Parental Enforcement Issues
• Alcohol Restrictions
• Safety Belt Restrictions
• Talking Points
• Resource List
• State-by-State Licensing Systems

Community Health Resources

Learn more about injury prevention & safety and violence prevention initiatives in CDC's Community Health Resources, including fact sheets, state and local program contacts, communication materials and state data.

Graduated Driver's Licenses

Graduated licensing is designed to help reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes involving new drivers by slowly introducing them to high-risk situations, such as driving at night or with passengers. Although all states have some form of graduated licensing, they vary widely. Find out what your state is doing and more about graduated driver's licenses.

Healthy States Forum: GDL Presentations

At the Healthy States Forum for State Legislators: Innovation and Collaboration in Wellness, a panel of experts discussed what a GDL system is, the reasoning behind the licensing system and what one legislator learned during his efforts to pass GDL legislation. To see who spoke at the session and their presentations, where available, see below.

• Dr. Arlene Greenspan, senior scientist, CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

• Brenda Glahn, assistant general counsel, Illinois Secretary of State

• Dr. John Lee, professor and director, Human Factors Research, National Advanced Driving Simulator

• Rep. Phil Lopes, Arizona

Teen Drivers: Fact Sheets and Proven Strategies

Did you know that the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group?  In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers aged 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. Learn more facts about teen drivers and read about proven strategies to reduce motor vehicle injuries.

Injury Fact Sheets

Access a wide range of CDC-produced fact sheets on injury, unintentional injuries, violence-related injuries and acute care injuries, such as damage to the spinal cord or brain. Also create county and state maps of age-adjusted mortality rates related to injuries.