Rhode Island Ranks Among Best in U.S. for Teen Drivers

Rhode Island Ranks Among Best in U.S. for Teen Drivers

Rhode Island ranks as the 9th best state in the country for teen drivers, according to a recent study done by WalletHub. 

RI ranks 8th in safety conditions, 29th in economic environment and 16 in driving laws. 

Here are some other Rhode Island ranks below.

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Teen Driving Conditions in Rhode Island (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

• 2nd– Number of Teen Driver Fatalities per Teen Population
• 18th– Number of Teen DUIs per Teen Population
• 23rd– Average Cost of Car Repairs
• 1st– Presence of Distracted-Driving/Texting-While-Driving Laws
• 1st– Presence of Teen Driver’s Graduated Licensing Program Laws
• 3rd– Number of Vehicle Miles Traveled per Capita
• 5th– Provision of Occupant- Protection Laws
• 25th– Presence of Impaired-Driving Laws

The Rankings 

RI ranks 9th behind Washington and Louisiana at 7 and 8 respectively, and in front of California and New Jersey at 10 and 11. 

New York is ranked as the best state for teen drivers, while South Dakota is ranked as the worst state for teen drivers. 

See the map below for the complete state rankings. 

 

Methodology 

In order to identify the best and worst states for teen drivers, WalletHub analyzed the teen driving environment in the 50 states across three key dimensions including safety conditions, economic environment and driving laws. 

The categories are comprised of a total of 16  metrics given corresponding weights. Each metric was scored on a 0 to 100 point scale, with 100 corresponding to the most favorable conditions for teen drivers. 

WalletHub then calculated the overall score for each state using the weighted average across all metrics, and then ranked the state accordingly. 

Safety Conditions – Total Points: 50

• Number of Teen Driver Fatalities per 100,000 Teens: Double Weight (~16.67 Points)
• Number of Vehicle Miles Traveled per Capita: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)
• Number of Teen “Under the Influence” Traffic Violations per 100,000 Teens: Double Weight (~16.67 Points)
• Quality of Roads: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)

Economic Environment – Total Points: 20

• Maximum Cost of a Speeding Ticket: Half Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Maximum Cost of a Red-Light Ticket: Half Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Maximum Amount of First-Offense Fines for Not Wearing a Seat Belt: Half Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Premium Increase After Adding a Teen Driver to a Parent’s Auto Insurance Policy: Double Weight (~7.27 Points)
• Average Cost of Car Repairs: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
• WalletHub “States With the Highest & Lowest Insurance Premium Penalties for High Risk Drivers” Ranking: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)

Driving Laws – Total Points: 30

• Teen Driver's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program Laws: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
• Presence of Occupant-Protection Laws: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
• Presence of Impaired-Driving Laws: Half Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Presence of Distracted-Driving/Texting-While-Driving Laws: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
• Presence of Red-Light & Speeding-Camera Laws: Half Weight (~3.00 Points)
• WalletHub “Strictest and Most Lenient States on DUI” Ranking: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)