Drivers younger than 18 are at significant risk on the road because they lack both the judgment that comes with maturity and the skill that comes with experience.
Graduated licensing is a system designed to delay full licensure while allowing beginners to obtain their initial experience under lower risk conditions. There are three stages: a minimum supervised learner's period, an intermediate license that limits unsupervised driving in high-risk situations, and a full-privilege driver's license available after completion of the first two stages.
Beginners must remain in each of the first two stages for set minimum time periods. Forty-four US states and the District of Columbia currently have all three stages, but the systems vary in strength.
In an optimal system, the minimum age for a learner's permit is 16; the learner stage lasts at least 6 months, during which parents must certify at least 30-50 hours of supervised driving; and the intermediate stage lasts until at least age 18 and includes both a night driving restriction starting at 9 or 10 p.m. and a strict teenage passenger restriction allowing no teenage passengers, or no more than one teenage passenger.
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety assigned licensing systems points for the key components of graduated licensing. Good systems scored 6 or more points. Fair systems scored 4 or 5 points. Marginal systems scored 2 or 3 points. Poor systems scored less than 2 points. Regardless of point totals, no state was rated above "marginal" if intermediate license holders could be younger than 16 or it allows unrestricted driving before age 16, 6 months. The following schedule was used to assign points.
| Learner's entry age: | 1 point for learner's entry age of 16 |
| Learner's holding period: | 2 points for ≥6 months; 1 point for 3-5 months; none for <3> |
| Practice driving certification: | 1 point for ≥30 hours; none for <30> |
| Night driving restriction: | 2 points for 9 or 10 pm; 1 point for after 10 pm |
| Passenger restriction: | 2 points for ≤1 underage passenger; 1 for 2 passengers; none for 3; where supervising driver may be <21,> |
| Driver education: | Where completion of driver education changed a requirement, point values were determined for the driver education track |
| Duration of restrictions: | 1 point if difference between minimum unrestricted license age and minimum intermediate license age is 12 or more months; night driving and passenger restrictions were valued independently |
Initial licensing procedures vary substantially in the United States.
Applicants' driving records are checked to ensure there are no suspensions or revocations and, if not, upon payment of renewal fees new licenses are issued. Most states require renewal applicants to appear in person and to pass a vision test. The significant differences are the length of time between renewals and the existence of provisions in 26 states and the District of Columbia designed to guarantee that older adults continue to meet license requirements.
Renewal procedures for older drivers include accelerated renewal cycles that provide for shorter renewal intervals for drivers older than a specified age, typically 65 or 70; a requirement that they renew their licenses in person rather than electronically or by mail where remote renewal is permitted; and testing that is not routinely required of younger drivers (vision and road tests, for example). These special renewal procedures for older drivers apply in addition to the license renewal procedures that exist in all states for dealing with licensed drivers of any age who no longer meet the standards for licensure because of physical or mental infirmities.
The licensing agency may allow the person to retain the license, refuse to renew the license, or suspend, revoke, or restrict the licenser after reviewing a person's fitness to drive. Typical restrictions prohibit nighttime driving, require the vehicle to have additional mirrors, or restrict driving to specified places or a limited radius from the driver's home. Where the renewal cycle is not shorter for older drivers, licensing agencies have the authority to shorten the renewal cycle for individual license holders if their condition warrants.
For more information, and to see the procedures in each state, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
6 states have a jurisdiction-wide ban on driving while talking on a hand-held cellular phone. Those states are; California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah, and Washington and the District of Columbia.
In 6 states Localities are allowed to ban cellphone use. Those states are; Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Localities that have enacted restrictions on cellphone use include: Chicago, IL (with some opposition); Brookline, MA; Detroit, MI; Santa Fe, NM; Brooklyn, North Olmstead and Walton Hills, OH; and Conshohocken, Lebanon and West Conshohocken, PA.
In 8 states localities are prohibited from banning cellphone use. These states are; Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah.
In 14 states and the District of Columbia the use of all cellular phones while driving a school bus is prohibited
The use of cellular phones by teens in the graduated licensing system is restricted in 17 states and the District of Columbia.
Source; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
WINNERS
Large car
Midsize cars
Minivans
Luxury SUVs
Midsize SUVs
Small SUVs
ALSO-RANS — REAR PROTECTION ISN'T GOOD
These vehicles earned good ratings in front and side crash tests. They have electronic stability control, standard or optional. They would have won 2007 Top Safety Pick awards if their seat/head restraints also had earned good ratings. Instead rear crash protection is rated acceptable, marginal, or poor (Honda reports that the seat/head restraints in the only Civic model with electronic stability control wouldn’t be rated good).
Acceptable rear protection
Marginal rear protection
Poor rear protection
Profits from current production (corporate profits with inventory valuation and capital
consumption adjustments) decreased $20.5 billion in the third quarter, in contrast to an increase of $94.7
billion in the second quarter. Current-production cash flow (net cash flow with inventory valuation and
capital consumption adjustments) -- the internal funds available to corporations for investment --
decreased $21.1 billion in the third quarter, in contrast to an increase of $37.4 billion in the second.
Domestic profits of financial corporations decreased $32.5 billion in the third quarter, in contrast
to an increase of $52.7 billion in the second. Domestic profits of nonfinancial corporations decreased
$14.4 billion in the third quarter, in contrast to an increase of $25.3 billion in the second. In the third
quarter, real gross value added of nonfinancial corporations increased, and profits per unit of real
product decreased. The decrease in unit profits reflected a decrease in unit prices and an increase in unit
labor costs that were partly offset by a decrease in unit nonlabor costs.
Profits before tax decreased $51.8 billion in the third quarter, in contrast to an increase of $115.7
billion in the second. The before-tax measure of profits does not reflect, as does profits from current
production, the capital consumption and inventory valuation adjustments. These adjustments convert
depreciation of fixed assets and inventory withdrawals reported on a tax-return, historical-cost basis to
the current-cost measures used in the national income and product accounts. The capital consumption
adjustment decreased $3.0 billion in the third quarter (from -$234.4 billion to -$237.4 billion), compared
with a decrease of $6.5 billion in the second. The inventory valuation adjustment increased $34.4
billion (from -$54.7 billion to -$20.3 billion), in contrast to a decrease of $14.5 billion.
www.bea.gov.
Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property
located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the third quarter of 2007,
according to final estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the second quarter, real
GDP increased 3.8 percent.
The increase in real GDP in the third quarter primarily reflected positive contributions from
exports, personal consumption expenditures (PCE), private inventory investment, nonresidential
structures, federal government spending, equipment and software, and state and local government
spending that were partly offset by a negative contribution from residential fixed investment. Imports,
which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.
Final sales of computers contributed 0.28 percentage point to the third-quarter growth in real GDP
after contributing 0.21 percentage point to the second-quarter growth. Motor vehicle output contributed
0.36 percentage point to the third-quarter growth in real GDP after contributing 0.03 percentage point to
the second-quarter growth.
Real personal consumption expenditures increased 2.8 percent in the third quarter, compared with
an increase of 1.4 percent in the second. Real nonresidential fixed investment increased 9.3 percent,
compared with an increase of 11.0 percent. Nonresidential structures increased 16.4 percent, compared
with an increase of 26.2 percent. Equipment and software increased 6.2 percent, compared with an
increase of 4.7 percent. Real residential fixed investment decreased 20.5 percent, compared with a
decrease of 11.8 percent.
Real exports of goods and services increased 19.1 percent in the third quarter, compared with an
increase of 7.5 percent in the second. Real imports of goods and services increased 4.4 percent, in
contrast to a decrease of 2.7 percent.
Gross national product
Real gross national product -- the goods and services produced by the labor and property supplied
by U.S. residents -- increased 5.8 percent in the third quarter, compared with an increase of 4.0 percent
in the second. GNP includes, and GDP excludes, net receipts of income from the rest of the world,
which increased $25.9 billion in the third quarter after increasing $5.8 billion in the second; in the third
quarter, receipts increased $32.0 billion, and payments increased $6.1 billion.
Current-dollar GDP
Current-dollar GDP -- the market value of the nation's output of goods and services -- increased
6.0 percent, or $201.7 billion, in the third quarter to a level of $13,970.5 billion. In the second quarter,
current-dollar GDP increased 6.6 percent, or $216.9 billion.
Source; Bureau of Economic Analysis
Personal income increased $43.1 billion, or 0.4 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI)
increased $32.9 billion, or 0.3 percent, in November, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $110.6 billion, or 1.1 percent. In October,
personal income increased $24.8 billion, or 0.2 percent, DPI increased $17.0 billion, or 0.2 percent,
and PCE increased $39.4 billion, or 0.4 percent, based on revised estimates.
2007
July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.
(Percent change from preceding month)
Personal income, current dollars 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.4
Disposable personal income:
Current dollars 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.3
Chained (2000) dollars 0.6 0.5 0.2 -0.2 -0.3
Personal consumption expenditures:
Current dollars 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.4 1.1
Chained (2000) dollars 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.5
Wages and salaries
Private wage and salary disbursements increased $36.0 billion in November, in contrast to a
decrease of $1.3 billion in October. Goods-producing industries' payrolls increased $6.2 billion, in
contrast to a decrease of $2.2 billion; manufacturing payrolls increased $2.9 billion, in contrast to a
decrease of $1.2 billion. Services-producing industries' payrolls increased $29.8 billion, compared
with an increase of $1.0 billion. Government wage and salary disbursements increased $4.0 billion,
the same increase as in October.
Source; Bureau of Economic Analysis National Economic Accounts
When beginning a business, you must decide what form of business entity to establish. Your form of business determines the amount of regulatory paperwork you have to file, your personal liability regarding investments into your business, and the taxes you have to pay. The most common business structures include:
Visit these resources to learn more about which business structure is right for you:
Guide to Choosing a Business StructureAccording to the FBI, the counterfeit cashier's check scheme targets individuals that use Internet classified advertisements to sell merchandise. Typically, an interested party located outside the United States contacts a seller. The seller is told that the buyer has an associate in the United States that owes him money. As such, he will have the associate send the seller a cashier's check for the amount owed to the buyer.
The amount of the cashier's check will be thousands of dollars more than the price of the merchandise and the seller is told the excess amount will be used to pay the shipping costs associated with getting the merchandise to his location. The seller is instructed to deposit the check, and as soon as it clears, to wire the excess funds back to the buyer or to another associate identified as a shipping agent. In most instances, the money is sent to locations in West Africa (Nigeria).
Because a cashier's check is used, a bank will typically release the funds immediately, or after a one or two day hold. Falsely believing the check has cleared, the seller wires the money as instructed.
In some cases, the buyer is able to convince the seller that some circumstance has arisen that necessitates the cancellation of the sale, and is successful in conning the victim into sending the remainder of the money. Shortly thereafter, the victim's bank notifies him that the check was fraudulent, and the bank is holding the victim responsible for the full amount of the check.
If you believe you may have fallen victim to this type of scam and wish to report it, please file a complaint with the FBI.
According to the FBI, the lottery scheme deals with persons randomly contacting email addresses advising them they have been selected as the winner of an International lottery.
The email message usually reads similar to the following:
"This is to inform you of the release of money winnings to you. Your email was randomly selected as the winner and therefore you have been approved for a lump sum payout of $500,000.00. To begin your lottery claim, please contact the processing company selected to process your winnings."
An agency name follows this body of text with a point of contact, phone number, fax number, and an email address. An initial fee ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 is often requested to initiate the process and additional fee requests follow after the process has begun. These emails may also list a United States point of contact and address while also indicating the point of contact at a foreign address.
If you believe you may have fallen victim to this type of scam and wish to report it, please file a complaint with the FBI.
Simply stated, the "reshipping" scam requires individuals in the United States, who sometimes are coconspirators and other times are unwitting accomplices, to receive packages at their residence and subsequently repackage the merchandise for shipment, usually abroad.
The most common way that Americans are being recruited is through Internet Relay Chat Rooms. The scammers befriend a lonely chat room person and appear to offer tham something they need- such as love or friendship.
There is often some identity theft involved. Often unknown subjects are asked to post help-wanted advertisements at popular Internet job search sites and respondents quickly reply to the online advertisement. As part of the application process, the prospective employee is required to complete an employment application, wherein he/she divulges sensitive personal information, such as their date of birth and social security number which, unbeknownst to the victim employee, will be used to obtain credit in his/her name.
The applicant is informed he/she has been hired and will be responsible for forwarding, or "reshipping", merchandise purchased in the United States to the company's overseas home office. The packages quickly begin to arrive and, as instructed, the employee dutifully forwards the packages to their overseas destination. Unbeknownst to the "reshipper," the recently received merchandise was purchased with fraudulent credit cards numbers. The identity theft aspect can happen in a matter of minutes.
Often the scammer will use the unknown individual in various Internet Relay Chat Rooms to do the shipping instead of the recruiting. After establishing this new online "friendship" or "love" relationship, the unknown subject explains for some 'good reason' such as various legal reasons his/her country will not allow direct business shipments into his/her country from the United States. He/she then asks for permission to send recently purchased items to the victim's United States address for subsequent shipment abroad for which the unknown subject explains he/she will cover all shipping expenses.
After the United States citizen agrees, the packages start to arrive at great speed. This fraudulent scheme lasts several weeks until the "reshipper" is contacted. The victimized merchants explain to the "reshipper" the recent shipments were purchased with fraudulent credit cards. Shortly thereafter, the strings of attachment are untangled and the boyfriend/girlfriend realizes their Cyber relationship was nothing more than an Internet scam to help facilitate the transfer of goods purchased online by fraudulent means.
If you believe you may have fallen victim to this type of scam and wish to report it, please file a complaint with the FBI.
Source; the FBI
We have all received these e-mails. Our editors say they get as much as 10 in their bulk folders each day. This scam combines the threat of impersonation fraud with a variation of an advance fee scheme in which a letter, email, or fax is received by the potential victim.
The e-mail is supposedly written by someone representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials offers the recipient the "opportunity" to share in a percentage of millions of dollars, soliciting for help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
The recipient is encouraged to send information to the author, such as blank letterhead stationary, bank name and account numbers, and other identifying information using a facsimile number provided in the letter. The scheme relies on convincing a willing victim to send money to the author of the letter in several installments of increasing amounts for a variety of reasons.
Click here to file a complaint with the FBI.
Visit the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to learn more about combating financial and economic crimes in Nigeria.
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