News in Brief: A National Roundup

The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that states limit teenage drivers with provisional licenses to carrying only one passenger under age 20, unless accompanied by an adult over age 21.The independent federal agency, whose recommendations often carry great weight with state policymakers, said in a Nov. 8 safety recommendation that allowing inexperienced drivers to drive with multiple teenage passengers can have "tragic consequences."

In 2000, according to the safety board, people under the age of 20 made up 6.76 percent of the driving population, but 14.28 percent of those killed in driving accidents were ages 15 to 20.

The board recommended that the restrictions on carrying multiple passengers last for six months or until the driver has received an unrestricted...