The number of traffic crashes resulting in injuries and deaths to teenagers has aroused leaders in many communities, particularly where fatal crashes have occurred.

The rash of crashes has forced people to look at the teenage driving laws in Minnesota and question if they should be strengthened.

Teenage drivers have four times as many accidents as adults. Many of those accidents occur after teens have their license at the age of 16 and no longer have to be accompanied by a licensed driver.

A four-year study showed that one of ten 16- and 17-year olds was involved in a crash. The same study showed that while teens 16 and 17, comprised 3 percent of licensed drivers, they were involved in 7.8 percent of the crashes.

Minnesota, unlike other states, has no restrictions on the number of passengers that can be in the car, and no limit on nighttime driving hours.

Minnesota is one of five states without either a night curfew or teenage passenger restriction. Thirty-four states restrict the number of passengers and nighttime hours for teenage drivers.

Experts say lack of experience and distractions are the main causes of accidents involving teenage drivers.

In Minnesota, a teenager can get a provisional license at the age of 16, after passing a drivers test, completing 30 hours of driver educational training, taking six hours of behind-the-wheel training and driving with a licensed driver for six months.

That six months experience may not be enough for the beginner who also has many more distractions with the technical age. Advocates for tougher safety laws for teens would like to see driving with a licensed driver extended to 16.6 years.

Coupled with inexperience is the other major cause of teenage crashesódistractions. Distractions can come from other passengers, talking on a cell phone, text messaging, taking photos with cell phones, turning the knobs on the radio, eating and drinking.

Another issue is having passengers in the car. Studies show that more teenage passengers die when thereís a teenager driver. When the number of passengers is restricted, the number of crashes goes down.

Safety advocates would like to see night driving limited. An alarming 67 percent of the crashes involving 15- and 17-year-olds happen between the hours of 9 and 11:59 p.m.

The Minnesota Legislature is becoming more concerned about teen drivers and has passed a law banning cell phones for teen drivers.

Again, the question arises: What new laws should be passed that would restrict personal freedoms?

Many insist parents should take a more active role in teaching driver safety, and accompanying their kids as they learn to drive and gain valuable experience. The problem is parents are too busy and so they want to believe their youngsters can drive if they can pass the drivers test.

Parents, many say, should control how many if any passengers should be in the car, and they ought to impose a nighttime hour when their children should be home with the car.

A strong argument, like saving lives, can be made to extend the provisional license driving time to 16.6 years, restrict the number of passengers when teens are driving and have a nighttime driving curfew.

If parents wonít assume more responsibility, the Minnesota Legislature will have to become more involvedóa last resort for many people.

An opinion from the ECM Editorial Board. (The Caledonia Argus is part of ECM Publishers, Inc.)

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