New York Leads Nation for Teen Driver Safety for Third Consecutive Year
A new study by WalletHub has once again recognized New York as the safest state for teen drivers, based on safety, economic environment, and driving laws.
New York has been named the best state for teen drivers for the third year in a row, according to a recent traffic safety study. The analysis by WalletHub evaluated all 50 states using 23 criteria, including teen driver fatalities, DUIs, and the availability of driver education programs.
The study categorized metrics into three areas: safety, economic environment, and driving laws, with a total possible score of 100 points. New York achieved a total score of 72.14, placing it ahead of Oregon (72.00) and New Jersey (68.01).
New York's high ranking is attributed to its strong performance across various safety and law-related metrics. The state ranked second overall in safety, just behind New Jersey, and also secured the second position for effective driving laws. Specifically, New York recorded the fourth-fewest teen driver fatalities, the fourth-lowest percentage of drivers using phones while driving, and the third-lowest rate of poor turning maneuvers.
Furthermore, the state offers more driving schools per capita than any other state and has the third-lowest rate of teen DUI arrests relative to its population. These factors contributed to its consistent top placement in the annual study.
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles acknowledged the findings, with Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt expressing hope that the results reassure parents. "We’re thrilled to achieve this ranking, and we will continue to educate young people to better prepare them to be safer and more responsible drivers," Jackstadt stated.
Despite New York's leading safety record, motor vehicle crashes remain a significant cause of death for teenagers nationally. Data from the New York Department of Motor Vehicles indicates that in 2024, drivers aged 16 to 20 were involved in 7% of state crashes, despite constituting only 4% of licensed drivers.
"Most crashes involving teen drivers are the result of inexperience, inattention, impairment and nighttime driving," Jackstadt noted. "The state has adopted a series of programs and rules to target these risky practices."
At the other end of the spectrum, Montana ranked last with a score of 22.78, followed by Missouri (29.16) and Mississippi (35.88). This study follows a May report that also found New York teens to be the safest drivers in the U.S., with Montana again ranking last.
WalletHub compiled its data using information from sources such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the American Automobile Association (AAA), and the FBI.