Dan Gwadosky, Maine's secretary of state, may want to avoid popular teen hangouts for a while after recently floating some ideas to restrict teen drivers, a report from the Portland Press Herald said this week.

Among the ideas Gwadosky has to reduce the number of young people killed in traffic crashes: increasing the driving age from 16 to 17.

Gwadosky's other ideas include:

• Banning teen-agers from driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
• Extending the waiting period between obtaining a learner's permit and a driver's license.
• Banning teen drivers from having passengers for six months, rather than three months, after they get their driver's licenses.
• Handing out mandatory suspensions for teen drivers who get tickets.

Gwadosky, whose office oversees the state Department of Motor Vehicles, says he plans to spend this month developing a consensus on the best way to reduce the number of young drivers involved in crashes.

He acknowledged that several of the ideas could face opposition among legislators - and teen-agers.