Silver could take on a whole new meaning when it comes to car shopping. With more elderly drivers on the road, the federal government is contemplating a “silver car” rating system that will help identify which cars better protect elderly drivers and passengers in a crash.

Federal highway safety officials will investigate the possibility of such a rating system as part of a five-year plan designed to reduce the number of fatal and injury-causing accidents among older drivers.

The plan, released Thursday, also calls for more research into technology to prevent crashes or reduce their severity. One promising technology would warn drivers when their car has moved outside its lane. Another would automatically apply the brakes when a car is about to ram the vehicle in front of it.

(AP)