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Driving curfew for those 16 and 17 should start much earlier, CDC report says
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Most states have a graduated driver's license for young drivers, but a new report from the CDC says most curfews are set later than they should be, for safety's sake. - photo by Lois M Collins
States that hope to protect young drivers and those who encounter them on America's roads often use curfews as part of a graduated driver's license. The goal is to restrict how late young drivers, those 16 and 17 years old, can be on the road as they become used to driving.

Night hours tend to be dangerous for them.

In most states with the graduated driver's license, the curfew is midnight. But a new analysis of traffic crashes by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says public officials and parents should set curfews much earlier. For the sake of safety, young drivers should be off the road by about 9 p.m.

It also suggests that all drivers younger than 18 be subject to a driving curfew. The rules vary, state to state.

The CDC recommendation was part of the July 29 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It said "approximately one-third (31 percent) of U.S. drivers aged 16 or 17 years involved in fatal crashes during 20092014 crashed during the night hours of 9 p.m.5:59 a.m. Among drivers involved in night crashes, 57 percent crashed before 12 a.m. State-level analyses revealed an approximately twofold variation among states in both the proportions of all drivers aged 16 or 17 years involved in fatal crashes that occurred at night and the proportions of night fatal crash involvements that occurred before 12 a.m."

Vermont is the only state that doesn't have some type of graduated driver's license. Typically, with such a license, a young driver would be restricted during the first six months behind the wheel, both by the clock and a ban against hauling around other youths. After six months, the curfew moves back somewhat and at some point it disappears. The details are different from one state to another, however.

"The CDC found that while every state except Vermont has night driving restrictions as part of their graduated license programs, nationwide 31 percent of the 16- and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes from 20092014 were involved in night crashes. This happened even though only about 11 percent of all trips made by these drivers occur when it is dark out," reports WGRZ in Buffalo, New York.

In 23 of the states with a graduated driver's license, the curfew begins at midnight. But nearly half the accidents occur before midnight, the CDC said.

It noted that "because nearly all of the night driving trips taken by drivers aged 16 or 17 years end before 12 a.m., (curfews) beginning at 12 a.m. or later provide minimal protection. As states examine strategies to further reduce total fatal crashes among newly licensed teen drivers, they could consider updating their (rules) to include earlier nighttime hours. The study results illustrate the importance of each state examining and balancing the unique needs for both mobility and safety of their teen population, particularly related to nighttime travel."

WGRZ said the CDC also recommends enacting other safety-promoting laws, such as primary seat belt rules and drunk driving bans.

Last fall, a series on how children die and how to keep them safe noted that "while teens account for only 8 percent of drivers overall, they are involved in 20 percent of accidents. And while the number of crashes involving teen drivers has dropped since 1996, those young drivers remain nearly twice as likely to be in a crash than older drivers."

The article added: "More tellingly: Car crashes are the No. 1 way teenagers die."
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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