MA Ranked One of Best States for Teen Drivers
Friday, June 28, 2019
According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Massachusetts is the third best state in the U.S. for teen drivers.
“Getting a driver’s license is considered a rite of passage in American culture. But this exciting coming-of-age has instead become a death sentence for thousands of teens each year. Motor-vehicle accidents continue to be the leading cause of death among the population aged 16 to 19, which also happens to be the age group with the highest risk of crashes,” writes WalletHub.
MA’s Rankings
- 3rd Best - Safety
- 19th Best - Economic Environment
- 34th Best - Driving Laws
- 4th - Fewest Teen Driver Fatalities per Teen Population
- 3rd - Fewest Teen DUIs per Teen Population
The Rankings
The top five states are:
1. Maryland
2. New York
3. Massachusetts
4. Louisiana
5. Texas
Wyoming is ranked as the worst state for teen drivers.
See the Full Rankings in the Map Below
The Method
In order to determine the best and worst states for teen drivers, WalletHub analyzed the teen-driving environment in the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Safety, 2) Economic Environment and 3) Driving Laws.
WalletHub evaluated those dimensions using 23 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for teen drivers.
WalletHub then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and ranking.
Safety – Total Points: 50
- Teen Driver Fatalities per 100,000 Teens: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
- Vehicle Miles Traveled per Capita: Half Weight (~2.00 Points)
- Traffic Indiscipline: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Teen “Under the Influence” Traffic Violations per 100,000 Teens: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Share of Teen Drinking & Driving: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Share of Teen Texting/Emailing While Driving: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Share of Teenagers Aged 18 to 24 Years Always or Nearly Always Wearing a Seatbelt: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
- Cost of Teen Crash-Related Deaths per 100,000 Teens: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Quality of Roads: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
- Driving Schools per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Economic Environment – Total Points: 40
- Maximum Cost of Speeding Ticket: Half Weight (~2.67 Points)
- Maximum Cost of Red-Light Ticket: Half Weight (~2.67 Points)
- Maximum Amount of First-Offense Fines for Not Wearing Seat Belt: Half Weight (~2.67 Points)
- Premium Increase After Adding Teen Driver to Parent’s Auto-Insurance Policy: Double Weight (~10.67 Points)
- Average Cost of Car Repairs: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
- Average Gas Prices: Double Weight (~10.67 Points)
- Punitiveness of Insurance Companies Toward High-Risk Drivers: Full Weight (~5.33 Points)
Driving Laws – Total Points: 10
- Provision of Teen Driver's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program Laws: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
- Presence of Occupant-Protection Laws: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
- Presence of Impaired-Driving Laws: Half Weight (~1.00 Points)
- Presence of Distracted-Driving/Texting-While-Driving Laws: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
- Presence of Red-Light & Speeding-Camera Laws: Half Weight (~1.00 Points)
- Leniency Toward DUI Violations: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
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