According to data obtained for the year 1978 from the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) and from state governments under contract to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teenaged drivers (especially males) have much higher rates of fatal crash involvement than older drivers. In addition, teenaged drivers are more likely than their older counterparts to be responsible for the crash. Also noteworthy is the fact that the deaths that teenagers are responsible for occur disproportionately to people other than themselves. Since past policies aimed at producing drivers who are less likely to crash (including use of education, restrictive licensing practices, enforcement of laws pertaining to vehicle operation, and suspension or rehabilitation of drivers with crashes or violations) have had only limited success, other more effective policies are needed. Most likely, the deaths resulting from teenagers' driving could be more effectively reduced by adopting policies that reduce their exposure as drivers and by ensuring that long-proven automatic injury-reduction technologies become standard in all motor vehicles. (MN)