Motor vehicle insurers, state and national safety organizations, government agencies, school administrators, parents and millions of drivers on the road know that teen motorists constitute a comparatively dangerous and vulnerable driver population, for a number of reasons.

Age factors in, of course, with the lack of driving experience that entails. Judgment -- in driving as in most other things in life -- takes times to develop. Distraction is a common nemesis for young drivers.

That latter element is of special concern to traffic regulators, who frequently cite it as a predominant cause underlying car accidents involving teen motorists.

The question: What to do about it?

Most states have reacted in a broad-based way. Many, like Kentucky, have graduated licensing programs that gradually increase a teen driver's rights and freedoms commensurate with that driver demonstrating progressive proficiency behind the wheel. For the most part, states across the union have laws that uniformly ban texting and cell phone use while driving.

Education, too, is a cornerstone in efforts to increase safety among the youthful driving population.

As an example of that, reference the government's just-released public service announcement that specifically targets teen drivers. The announcement is titled "OMG" and has been thoughtfully rolled out in a manner intended to garner the largest teen audience possible.

Namely, the message -- laden with text acronyms and teen-specific language -- is now appearing in many thousands of cinemas across the country, as well as on high-volume gas pumps where teens are likely to stop and fill up.

"We're reaching teens directly," says federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who hopes the brief message will spur thoughtfulness and a further dissemination of its key themes to other young drivers.

Source: The Talk Radio News Service, "DOT releases 'OMG' PSA against distracted driving" Nov. 28, 2011