Unfortunately, parents are right to be concerned. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that young people between the ages of 16 to 19 present the highest crash risk of any age group. More significantly, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among this demographic.
Interestingly enough, the financial website WalletHub recently released a study ranking the best — and worst — states for teen drivers.
Here, researchers examined 21 key metrics relating to safety, economic environment, and driving laws using both federal and state data. This, in turn, enabled them to create comprehensive pictures of the teen-driving environments in each state and award points based on relative performance.
The five states taking the top spots, meaning the best for teen drivers, were:
- New York (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Illinois (3)
- Maryland (4)
- Washington (5)
On the other end of the spectrum, the five states deemed to be the worst for teen drivers were:
- Montana (50)
- Wyoming (49)
- North Dakota (48)
- South Dakota (47)
- Nebraska (46)
As for Georgia, we came in at number ten overall on the list, earning a ranking of 16 for safety, 21 for economic environment, and 11 for driving laws.
While it’s certainly encouraging to see that we have a safe driving environment in place for teens here in Georgia, it’s nevertheless important for everyone from parents and educators to state officials and lawmakers to help ensure it stays this way.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by the reckless actions of another, consider speaking with a skilled legal professional to learn more about your rights and your options for seeking justice.
