With summer being a popular time for teens to get driver’s licenses and an average of eight teens dying every day from motor vehicle injuries, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst States for Teen Drivers, as well as 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. Oregon | 41. Ohio |
| 2. New York | 42. Idaho |
| 3. New Jersey | 43. Nebraska |
| 4. Connecticut | 44. Mississippi |
| 5. Washington | 45. Arkansas |
| 6. West Virginia | 46. South Dakota |
| 7. Illinois | 47. North Dakota |
| 8. Maryland | 48. Wyoming |
| 9. Alaska | 49. Missouri |
| 10. Georgia | 50. Montana |
Best vs. Worst
- New York is the state with the fewest teen driver fatalities per 100,000 teens, 2.54, which is 8.2 times fewer than in Montana, the state with the most at 20.90.
- 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, 4.00 percent, which is 35 times lower than in Virginia, the state with the highest at 140 percent.
- New York has the fewest vehicle miles traveled per capita, 5313, which is 3.6 times fewer than in Wyoming, the state with the most at 19,244.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to arrange a phone, video or in-studio interview with one of our WalletHub’s experts. Feel free to embed this YouTube video summarizing the study on your website. You can also use or edit these raw files as you see fit. Full data sets for specific states are also available upon request.
Best,
Diana Polk
WalletHub Communications Manager
(202) 684-6386
More from WalletHub
Expert Commentary
What tips do you have for parents of teen drivers?
“Driving is a skill that requires practice, so supervised opportunities for teens to practice driving are essential. There is more to driving than just the physical operation of a motor vehicle. New drivers have a lot to learn – from laws, road signs, and driving etiquette, to how to be aware of and respond to unanticipated events and hazards. Parents can support teens by ensuring they have many driving practice hours under the guidance of an experienced adult driver. Parents can also narrate their own driving decisions while their teen is a passenger, like ‘I am turning right at the next block, so I am putting my turn signal on,’ or ‘It is starting to rain, and in our state, we have to turn our headlights on when we turn our windshield wipers on.’ Lastly, parents should always model safe driving to their teens, including fastening seat belts and not using cell phones while driving.”
Joanna Lee Williams, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Rutgers University
“One tip for parents is to take time to train and drive with your teen driver. Certainly, providing professional driver's training classes if available is helpful (but can be costly), but also take time to practice with your teen driving in parking lots and open spaces for them to get the feel of the automobile and what it can and cannot do. Once your teen has a permit and even their license, continue driving with them. Do not just assume they can handle a car once they have a license. Get a sense in terms of how they handle a car and make adjustments/suggestions to their driving. Driving is a privilege and also a learning experience. Some at least minimal parental monitoring of your driving teen is important as well. Research has shown that, in general, parental monitoring of teenagers has benefits, including the reduction of acting out and aggressive behaviors. This generalizes well in terms of knowing when your teen borrows the car, where they might be going/doing when driving, and when they will return.”
William D. Marelich, Ph.D. – Professor & Applied Research Psychologist, California State University, Fullerton
What is the biggest risk that teen drivers face?
“Although the ability to legally buy alcohol starts at 21 years old, there is still a significant proportion of teenagers who still drink alcohol during their teenage years (with and without the consent of the parents). Unfortunately, too many still drive under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs. The parents must ensure that their teenager does not drink and drive in the event alcohol is consumed by the person below 21. Texting/talking on the phone and driving is also a major problem.”
Dominique Lord – Professor and Faculty Fellow, Texas A&M University
“The biggest risk would be accidents, including fatal accidents. For those aged 16-19, the risk of accidents and fatal accidents is elevated according to the National Safety Council. Teens compared to older age groups tend to minimize risk, which can lead to increased risk-taking behaviors. That, compounded with less driving experience, could lead to poor driving outcomes. In addition, the mix of newly driving and experimentation with drugs and alcohol yields additional risks in terms of impaired driving.”
William D. Marelich, Ph.D. – Professor & Applied Research Psychologist, California State University, Fullerton
What should policymakers do to increase the safety of teen drivers?
“Graduated driver's licensing (GDL) policies are essential in promoting safety. GDL policies typically impose minimum age limits and required time periods for learning permits or other probationary licenses. Some also regulate the number and age of passengers permitted with teen drivers and the hours of day and night when teens are allowed to drive. GDL programs are an important way to structure guidelines during the period of time – from several months to a few years – teens need to build driving competence. They should be paired with access to comprehensive driver education so teens learn laws and restrictions in addition to having ample opportunities for supervised driving practice. Enforcement of driving laws related to cell phone and tech use, substance use, and seat belt use can benefit all drivers and passengers, including teens. Consideration of policies that support teens' broader developmental needs, like modifying school start times to increase opportunities for sleep, may also indirectly increase the safety of teen drivers and those with whom they share the road.”
Joanna Lee Williams, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Rutgers University
“Policymakers could consider extended permit lengths, which would yield more time for teens to drive with adults. Tougher license and driving tests could also be implemented. Mandating defensive driving courses would also be an option.”
William D. Marelich, Ph.D. – Professor & Applied Research Psychologist, California State University, Fullerton
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