There are few things more anxiety-inducing for parents than watching their children learn to drive  and for good reason. Even the most mature teenager can take ill-advised risks, and inexperience behind the wheel can be deadly. Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for 15- to 19-year-olds.

One way to reduce the risks is called graduated licensing, which is the phasing in of privileges for young drivers. The best state programs have reduced the number of accidents involving 16-year-olds by 20 percent to 40 percent. Research shows that accidents involving young drivers increase significantly after 10 p.m. For a driver under 18, the likelihood of an accident increases with each additional young passenger in the car.

While researchers know what works, state regulations vary widely. A few states, such as Arkansas and Idaho, allow teens as young as 14 and 15 to drive. Rhode Island’s nighttime ban on driving for younger drivers starts at 1 a.m., while New York’s far more sensible approach restricts night driving after 9 p.m.

Congress flexed its muscle in the mid-1980s and pressed states to adopt a minimum drinking age of 21. More recently, it did so to pass tougher drunken driving laws. The country’s highways are safer for those efforts. Congress now needs to do the same for teenage driving.