Washington state ranked as the second best state for teen drivers, according to a recent study by WalletHub, a personal finance website that evaluated states' safety, economic environment and driving laws.
While teens await the exciting freedom of getting their driver's license, the harsh reality is that motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
An estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021 in the United States, a devastating 10.5% increase from 2020's 38,824 fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The highway administration projects that an estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year, a 10.5% increase from the 38,824 fatalities in 2020.
The CDC found that those ages 16 to 19 have the highest risk of being in a motor vehicle crash than any other age group, being nearly three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers 20 years old and older.
So for many, handing over the keys to their 16-year-old is full of anxiety, worry and fear.
While looking for the safest environments for teen drivers, the 2022 WalletHub study measured states' safety across 23 metrics including teen "under the influence" violations, teen texting and driving violations, the maximum cost of speeding tickets and the presence of distracted driving laws.
The study determined that Washington state was the second best state for teen drivers overall, tailing New York which ranked the highest.
Washington's second place overall ranking included:
— ranking 2nd place in driving laws.
— ranking 9th place in safety.
— ranking 35th in economic environment.
Following Washington's second place position was Illinois, Maryland, Oregon and Hawaii.
The state that rated as the worst for teen drivers was Montana, followed by Wyoming, Missouri, South Dakota and North Dakota.
The study measured safety by evaluating vehicle crash statistics, violations in an area and driving schools per capita. To measure the economic environment the study evaluated costs of tickets, costs of car repairs and cost of insurance premiums after adding a teen. To measure driving laws, the study evaluated the types of driving laws each state had, the severity of the laws and if there was any leniency.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration encourages parents to lead by example while driving, talk to their teens about safe driving and remind them of a few things they may have learned in driver's education that truly could save theirs and others' lives:
— The car should not move unless everyone is buckled.
— Limit distractions and do not do other things while driving. Do not try to text, apply makeup or reach around in your car while driving. Limiting the number of passengers in the car can also limit distractions.
— Do not drive if you are too tired.
— Do not speed, you can easily lose control and lose extra reaction time you may need.
