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The leading cause of death for teens in the United States is car crashes, but a recent study indicates that is slowly changing.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes approximately one-third of all deaths in the 16 to 17 years age group to motor vehicle accidents. But since 1996, the CDC has taken note of a general decline in these figures. It reports, “From 2004 to 2008, the annual number of drivers aged 16 or 17 years involved in fatal crashes decreased 36%, from 2,230 to 1,437.”

The data gets even more interesting when it annualizes fatal crash data on a state-by-state basis. New York and New Jersey have the lowest annualized rate, while Wyoming has the highest.

Although a weak economy and different driving environments may have played a part in the decline, the CDC says, “The relatively low rates of crash involvement for young drivers in New Jersey and New York might be related to licensing policies.” This is a reference to graduated driver license (GDL) programs and higher minimum age requirements; New Jersey’s age requirement is 17 while New York’s is 18. Wyoming issues full privilege driver’s licenses at 16 and a half.

But according to KickingTires, that’s not the only reason why there has been a decline: “Besides the graduated licenses and increased parental involvement, increased seat belt use and a strong government-led campaign against drunken driving also helped.”

Additionally, “Statistics shows that crash risk is the highest during teen’s first years driving independently,” reports USAToday.

If you’re a parent with a first-time driver, it may be in your child’s best interest to find cars that keep them safe. Take, for example, cars that come equipped with electronic stability control or programmable keys — like Ford’s MyKey — that have the ability to limit speed, radio volume and set special chimes to encourage safe driving.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals. Also, be sure to check us out on Twitter.