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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.
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