Summer is a popular time for teens to get driver’s licenses and teen auto accidents cost us around $40.7 billion per year, so the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on the Best & Worst States for Teen Drivers in 2026, as well as expert commentary, to identify where teens can enjoy this rite of passage while remaining as safe as possible.
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. North Dakota |
| 2. Oregon | 42. New Hampshire |
| 3. New Jersey | 43. South Dakota |
| 4. Indiana | 44. Idaho |
| 5. Connecticut | 45. Nebraska |
| 6. Massachusetts | 46. Alabama |
| 7. Rhode Island | 47. Wyoming |
| 8. Washington | 48. Mississippi |
| 9. West Virginia | 49. Missouri |
| 10. Maine | 50. Montana |
Best vs. Worst
- Alaska is the state with the fewest teen driver fatalities per 100,000 teens, which is 12.4 times fewer than in Mississippi, the state with the most.
- Kansas has the lowest share of major roads in poor or mediocre condition, which is 7.1 times lower than in Rhode Island, the state with the highest.
- Hawaii has the lowest premium increase after adding a teen driver to a parent’s auto-insurance policy, which is 70 times lower than in Virginia, the state with the highest.
- New York has the fewest vehicle miles traveled per capita, which is 2.7 times fewer than in Wyoming, the state with the most.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
“Learning to drive is an exciting experience for teens, but the process is equally nerve-wracking for their parents, who know the risks of driving from experience. The best states for teen drivers promote safety through easy access to driving classes, strict laws for bad behavior on the road and well-maintained roads. They also have residents who drive safely and obey the laws. In addition, some states minimize the costs for insurance and gas, which is a big plus when prices are inflated.”
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“New York is the best state for teen drivers, despite traffic congestion in its biggest cities, in large part due to the fact that it has the fourth-fewest teen driver fatalities per capita. In addition, New York has the fourth-lowest percentage of drivers who use phones while driving and the third-lowest prevalence of poor turning. When it comes to teens specifically, New York has the third-fewest DUI arrests per capita and the seventh-lowest rate of texting while driving.”
- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
Expert Commentary
What tips do you have for parents of teen drivers?
“Parents of teen drivers need a lot of patience. Sitting next to your child, watching them learn how to operate a two-ton moving vehicle in real time can feel frustrating and anxious. Our anxiety does not help them when they are driving, and can make them lose focus on the road as they respond to our comments and body language. We should also model good driving behavior so that they can see how to safely navigate the road. Finally, parents should make sure that teens have options available for them if they are out with other teens who may be under the influence of substances, like a ride share app on their phone.”
Martine Hackett – Associate Professor, Hofstra University
“Parents play one of the most important roles in developing safe driving habits. Learning to drive should be viewed as a gradual process rather than a milestone achieved simply by passing a licensing exam. Parents should spend substantial supervised driving time with their teens in a variety of conditions, including nighttime driving, adverse weather, rural roads, and heavy traffic. Simply put, the more quality driving experience teens gain under supervision, the better prepared they will be to handle unexpected situations on their own. Open communication is equally important. Parents should establish clear expectations regarding seat belt use, distracted driving, speeding, passenger limits, and impaired driving before handing over the keys. Modeling safe driving behaviors is also critical, as teens are often more influenced by what parents do than what they are told. When my children were learning to drive, I would often narrate my own driving, talking through what I was observing and the decisions I was making in real time. This helped them understand not just how to operate a vehicle, but how to anticipate potential hazards and think defensively behind the wheel. As the parent of two teenage drivers, I am also grateful for the variety of driving and location-tracking technologies available today. They provide peace of mind by letting me know when my teens have arrived safely at their destination, while also allowing us to review driving habits such as speed and braking.”
Kristal A. Gerdes, Ph.D. – Professor, University of Wisconsin-Stout / Wisconsin's Polytechnic University
What is the biggest risk that teen drivers face?
“Not having the driving experience that their parents have. Education on just how important it is to pay attention to the road is needed. Raising a teen who takes driving lessons and what they do as drivers seriously. Driving is not a game (even though we do have games featuring cars). Respect for the car and other drivers on the road is important.”
Rob Weiner – Popular Culture Librarian, Texas Tech University
“The biggest risks for teen drivers come from a lack of experience and overconfidence. For example, they may never have driven in snow or heavy rain before and feel like they can drive as they usually do when more caution is needed. More experience behind the wheel increases their confidence and knowledge. Teens are also at risk of being distracted by phones and friends while driving and having their attention diverted.”
Martine Hackett – Associate Professor, Hofstra University
What tips do you have for minimizing the costs (insurance, etc.) associated with having a teen driver in the household?
“One is to get the insurance package that bundles multiple family assets. Another is to have their child take driving lessons with the best possible driving school around them, where they will learn how to drive in different weather conditions, as well as how to parallel park. Parents can tell their children that any traffic violations and fines will come out of their pockets, thus improving the incentives for good driving habits.”
Dr. Miren Ivankovic – Professor, Anderson University
“Families should compare insurance providers annually, ask about discounts for good grades, driver education courses, safe driving programs, and multi-vehicle or multi-policy discounts. Vehicle choice also matters. A safe, reliable vehicle with strong crash-test ratings and lower repair costs is often less expensive to insure than a newer sports car or luxury vehicle. Parents should also remember that avoiding even one accident or traffic violation can save substantially more in insurance premiums than many other cost-saving measures. More broadly, this is another example of why budgeting is so valuable. Incorporating insurance premiums, fuel, maintenance, and unexpected repairs into the household budget before a teen begins driving can reduce financial stress and help families make informed decisions that fit their overall financial goals.”
Kristal A. Gerdes, Ph.D. – Professor, University of Wisconsin-Stout / Wisconsin's Polytechnic University
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