Teenagers can't wait till they can get their license and hit the road. But our roads are full of hazards, and unfortunately, their safety is at risk.
Motor-vehicle accidents continue to be the leading cause of death among the population aged 16 to 19, according to WalletHub, which also happens to be the age group with the highest risk of crashes.
Crash costs
Although 15- to 19-year-olds made up only 7% of the population in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they racked up 11% of all costs resulting from motor-vehicle injuries. These expenses do not include the costs of auto maintenance, insurance premiums, potential traffic violations and other vehicular incidents.
Click on the infographic (at right) to see some of the statistics gathered by WalletHub.
WalletHub gathered information from the:
- U.S. Census Bureau.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- The Road Information Program.
- CarMD.
- InsuranceQuotes.
- Governors Highway Safety Association.
- American Automobile Association.
- WalletHub research.
Where are teen drivers safest?
As the summer steadily approaches, WalletHub analyzed the teen-driving environment in the 50 states across three key dimensions and evaluated those dimensions using 21 relevant metrics.
With this in mind, here are the 10 best states for teen drivers, as well as the top 10 worst:
(Photo: Shutterstock)
10 best states for teen drivers
10. Georgia
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9. New Jersey
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8. Delaware
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7. California
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6. Louisiana
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5. Washington
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4. Maryland
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3. Illinois
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2. Oregon
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1. New York
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10 worst states for teen drivers
10. Oklahoma
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(Photo: Shutterstock)
9. Iowa
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(Photo: Shutterstock)
8. Idaho
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7. Mississippi
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(Photo: Shutterstock)
6. Missouri
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5. Nebraska
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(Photo: Shutterstock)
4. South Dakota
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3. North Dakota
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(Photo: Shutterstock)
2. Wyoming
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1. Montana
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