Risky drivers.

TRAFFIC accidents; OLDER automobile drivers; TEENAGE automobile drivers; DRIVING cessation; AUTOMOBILE driving schools; DRIVERS' licenses; MOTOR vehicle drivers; GRADUATED driver licensing; AUTOMOBILE driving; STANDARDS

The article focuses on the issue of the very young and elderly drivers causing the majority of accidents, with those demographics also linked to more passenger-vehicle fatalities, and provides recommendations for managing these risks. An overview of the statistics is provided, with data from the Pew Research Center, indicating that accidents in youth are related to inexperience, in the elderly are linked to inadequate driving time, and with both to risk assessment inabilities. As possible solutions, the author suggests graduated licensing initiatives for the young, driving cessation for the elderly, and safer vehicles for both. INSET: When to ask for the keys of older drivers.