IS 16 TOO YOUNG TO DRIVE A CAR? THAT RADICAL IDEA IS GAINING MOMENTUM IN THE FIGHT TO SAVE THE LIVES OF TEEN DRIVERS
VIRGINIA (USA TODAY) -- Raise the driving age. That radical idea is gaining momentum in the fight to save the lives of teenage drivers - the most dangerous on the USA's roads - and their passengers. Brain and auto safety experts fear that 16-year-olds, the youngest drivers licensed in most states, are too immature to handle today's cars and roadway risks. New findings from brain researchers at the National Institutes of Health explain for the first time why efforts to protect the youngest drivers usually fail. The weak link: what's called "the executive branch" of the teen brain - the part that weighs risks, makes judgments and controls impulsive behavior. Scientists at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., have found that this vital area develops through the teenage years and isn't fully mature until age 25. One 16-year-old's brain might be more developed than another 18-year-old's, just as a younger teen might be taller than an older one. But evidence is mounting that a 16-year-old's brain is generally far less developed than those of teens just a little older >>

Age Limits In Other Nations
Good Car For Teen Safety? 'A Large, Sedate Sedan'
Parents Can Act To Keep Teens Safer
Deadly Teen Auto Crashes Show A Pattern: There Is An All-Too-Common Pattern To Deadly Wrecks Involving Teens: Put A 16-Year-Old Boy At The Wheel Of An SUV. Add Two Or Three Teens, Including At Least One Other Boy. Send Them Out At Night. Finally, Let Them Travel Fast - And Unbelted
'This Is Not A Pain You Can Heal From,' Teen's Mom Says
One Deadly Day
USA Today Editorial: A Few Limits Could Save Their Lives
Opposing View: Rules Don't Enhance Safety
Graphic: The Hazards Of Teen Driving
Keeping Watch On Teen Drivers: Parents Hand Out Keys, And A Device That Feeds Their Teen's Driving Habits Into A Home Computer
Cell Phone Use While Driving Up: More People Than Ever Are Driving Under The Influence Of Their Cell Phones

STUDY SHOWS U.S. RURAL ROADS MOST DEADLY .  .  .

The Death Rate For Motorists On Rural Roads In The United States Was More Than 2½ Times The Rate For Driving On All Other Roads In 2003, A Study To Be Released Thursday Shows
Driver's Education Gets Turbocharged
Fewer Helmets, More Deaths: Fatalities Have Doubled In Florida Since State Eased Law In 2000
Twenty States, Puerto Rico And The District Of Columbia Require All Riders To Wear Helmets