RI Ranked 35th Best State for Teen Drivers
GoLocalProv News Team
RI Ranked 35th Best State for Teen Drivers
According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Rhode Island is ranked as the 35th best state for teen drivers in the U.S.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“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.
RI’s Rankings
- 17th Best - Safety
- 46th Best - Economic Environment
- 14th Best - Driving Laws
- 50h - Highest Premium Increase After Adding Teen Driver to Policy
- 2nd - Fewest Teen Driver Fatalities per Teen Population
- 5th - Fewest Teen DUIs per Teen Population
The Rankings
RI is ranked behind South Carolina and Nebraska, who rank 33rd and 34th respectively.
Rhode Island is ranked ahead of Tennessee and West Virginia, who rank 36th and 37th respectively.
Wyoming is ranked as the worst state for teen drivers, while Maryland is ranked as the best state.
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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