What states are the most/least safe for teen drivers?
Teaching a teenager to drive is a nerve-wracking experience for both parents and new drivers. Unfortunately, this 16-19 year old age group has the highest risk of crashes and vehicle accidents is the leading cause of death in teenagers.
WalletHub, a financial website, analyzed the teen driving situation in every state in the country using 23 key metrics, including number of teen driving fatalities and the average cost of vehicle repairs. Oregon came in as the safest state for teen drivers, followed by New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Washington to round out the Top 5. Illinois came in seventh place and Iowa ranked 30th. The five least safe states for teen drivers include South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Missouri and Montana.
Illinois came in first with the fewest teen drunk drivers and there was a five state tie for the most – Montana, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. Iowa ranked fourth in the list of lowest average car repairs; Maine came in first place and Connecticut came in last.
For more data from the survey, including which state charges the least to add a teen driver to an insurance policy, click here.
