With teens obtaining driver’s licenses during the summer more than any other season and an average of seven teens dying every day from motor vehicle injuries, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst States for Teen Drivers, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.
In order to determine the safest and least costly driving environments for U.S. teenagers, WalletHub compared the 50 states based on 23 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of teen driver fatalities to the average cost of car repairs to the presence of impaired-driving laws.
| Best States for Teen Drivers | Worst States for Teen Drivers |
| 1. New York | 41. New Hampshire |
| 2. Washington | 42. Mississippi |
| 3. Illinois | 43. Arkansas |
| 4. Maryland | 44. Idaho |
| 5. Oregon | 45. Nebraska |
| 6. Hawaii | 46. North Dakota |
| 7. California | 47. South Dakota |
| 8. Louisiana | 48. Missouri |
| 9. New Jersey | 49. Wyoming |
| 10. Kentucky | 50. Montana |
Best vs. Worst
- Rhode Island is among the states with the fewest teen driver fatalities per 100,000 teens, at 1.12, which is 17.9 times fewer than in Wyoming, the state with the most at 20.02.
- Tennessee has the lowest share of major roads in poor or mediocre condition, 14.00 percent, which is 5.4 times lower than in Rhode Island, the state with the highest at 75.00 percent.
- Hawaii has the lowest premium increase after adding a teen driver to a parent’s auto-insurance policy, 5.98 percent, which is 23.3 times lower than in Connecticut, the state with the highest at 139.37 percent.
- New York has the fewest vehicle miles traveled per capita, 5,251, which is 3.2 times fewer than in Wyoming, the state with the most at 16,857.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
More from WalletHub
Expert Commentary
What tips do you have for parents of teen drivers?
“My husband and I live in a suburb of Houston, TX. When our then 17-year-old twin sons began driving, we created a safety zone for our new teen drivers. The teens were only allowed to drive within 6 miles of our home and were limited to local streets. Freeway driving did not happen unless one of us was in the car. This helped them gain driving confidence and learn how to get to their favorite fast-food restaurants. We also encouraged them to review directions to a new place on their phone and familiarize themselves with the directions before they started driving. This ensured they knew to look for landmarks and streets and to anticipate turns before the GPS prompted them.”
Gwendolyn C. Goodwinn, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor and Interim Director, Center for Transportation Training and Research, Texas Southern University
“First, perfect practice makes perfect. Try to practice driving with your teen driver in a variety of driving situations and environments. You want to expose them to as many driving scenarios as possible...Second, if you are able, try to have your teen driver in the safest (and newest) vehicle possible. Newer vehicles have advanced technology that can mitigate crashes. Last, model appropriate driving behavior for your children. Children as young as 2 or 3 notice what you are doing while driving and as they get older, they will emulate your habits. If you frequently use a cell phone while driving, don’t wear your seat belt, etc., your teen driver will do the same. It’s not enough to just tell them what to do – you have to practice it as well.”
Shannon C. Roberts, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
What tips do you have for minimizing the costs (insurance, etc.) associated with having a teen driver in the household?
“Several insurance companies (Allstate, State Farm, etc.) offer insurance discounts to teen drivers who complete various courses or training hours. In addition, some insurance companies offer a phone app that tracks and monitors a teen’s driving. These programs mean big savings to parents paying insurance for children under 25.”
Gwendolyn C. Goodwinn, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor and Interim Director, Center for Transportation Training and Research, Texas Southern University
“Make sure your teen driver attends a driver education class or completes a supplemental training program, which usually helps reduce insurance costs. Supplemental training programs are available from insurance companies, automobile manufacturers, as well as local high schools or colleges. Another way to reduce costs is to install a device in their car that records driving activity, e.g., their speed, GPS coordinates, etc. Some devices are available from your insurance company or can be installed directly on your teen’s phone.”
Shannon C. Roberts, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
What is the biggest risk that teen drivers face?
“Distracted driving is one of the biggest risks to teen drivers. Teens typically are distracted by their phones and other teens in the car. Unlike seniors who frequently ‘group drive’, telling the driver to slow down or noting when it is safe to change lanes, teen passengers discourage safe driving. Teens frequently take selfies, play loud music, speed up, and drink/use drugs.”
Gwendolyn C. Goodwinn, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor and Interim Director, Center for Transportation Training and Research, Texas Southern University
“The biggest risk for all drivers continues to be not wearing a seat belt or being under the influence while driving. In addition to these two risks, for teen drivers, the big risks are distracted driving and speeding. Teens get distracted by technology, objects external to the vehicle (e.g., a billboard), as well as passengers in the car. To prevent distracted driving, have rules in place, set consequences for breaking the rules, and model the correct behavior. Another option is to use cell phone blocking applications. In regard to speeding, the faster the vehicle is moving, the longer it takes the vehicle to stop in the case of an emergency. To prevent speeding, have your teen drive the family car versus their own personal vehicle – teens speed less when they know they are in a shared vehicle.”
Shannon C. Roberts, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
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