Cars are the biggest killer of young

CAR smashes claim a third of young Australian men who die each year, new statistics show.

And one in five, or 20 per cent, of men aged 15-24 who die commit suicide, Australian Bureau of Statistics Social Trends figures show.

Girls are less likely to die in cars or by their own hand - one-quarter of females aged 15-24 who die are in fatal car accidents and 15 per cent commit suicide.

But more girls die of drug overdoses - 7 per cent of young deaths compared with 5 per cent of young men.

Young men are more likely to engage in risky drinking and driving, too. Figures from 2007 show 19 per cent of men 18-24 binge drink at least once a week, compared with 16 per cent of women the same age.