Injury accounts for about 77% of adolescent deaths. Compared with younger children, adolescents ages 15–19 have much higher death rates overall and from injuries. Adolescents are much more likely to die from injuries sustained from motor vehicle traffic crashes and firearms than younger children.⁸⁷ The leading causes of nonfatal injury resulting in an emergency department (ED) visit also differ between adolescents and younger children. For example, the leading cause of adolescent nonfatal injury ED visits is being struck by or against an object or person, whereas for younger children, the leading cause of nonfatal injury ED visits is falls (see PHY7.A). In addition, ED visits for nonfatal injuries for adolescents more often result from violence, sports-related activities, or motor vehicle traffic crashes. In 2020, there were 9,628 fatal injuries and more than 1.4 million ED visits for non-fatal injuries among adolescents.⁸⁶

Indicator PHY8.A: Emergency department visit rates for adolescents ages 15–19 by leading causes of injury, 2019–2020

• In 2019–2020, the three leading causes of injury-related ED visits among adolescents ages 15–19 were being struck by or against an object or person (25 visits per 1,000), motor vehicle traffic crashes (21 visits per 1,000), and falls (20 visits per 1,000). These three leading causes accounted for 53% of the injury-related ED visits for this age group.
• The rates for injury-related ED visits resulting from overexertion and being cut or pierced from instruments or objects each resulted in 9 visits per 1,000 adolescents.

Indicator PHY8.B: Death rates among adolescents ages 15–19 by all causes and all injury causes and selected mechanisms of injury, 2011–2021

• In 2021, the death rate for adolescents ages 15–19 was 62 per 100,000, 13 points higher than the death rate in 2011 (49 deaths per 100,000).
• From 2011 to 2021, injuries were the leading cause of death for adolescents. In 2021, injuries accounted for more than three fourths of adolescent deaths.
• Before 2016, motor vehicle traffic injuries were the leading mechanism of injury deaths among adolescents ages 15–19. In 2016, there was no significant difference between deaths related to motor vehicle traffic injuries and firearm injuries. However, beginning in 2017, firearm-related injury deaths (18 deaths per 100,000 in 2021) became more common than motor vehicle traffic deaths (13 deaths per 100,000 in 2021).
• For motor vehicle traffic injuries, the death rate fluctuated from 2011 to 2019 but did not change significantly.
• For firearm injuries, the death rate was stable from 2011 to 2013 and then increased from 10 deaths per 100,000 in 2013 to 18 deaths per 100,000 in 2021.
• The unintentional injury (accident) death rate in 2021 was higher among male adolescents (32 deaths per 100,000) than among female adolescents (14 deaths per 100,000). The homicide rates also were higher among males than females (22 deaths per 100,000 and 4 deaths per 100,000, respectively), as were the suicide rates (16 deaths per 100,000 and 5 deaths per 100,000, respectively).

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