How Arizona ranks among best and worst states for teen drivers

Summer is a popular time for teens to get driver’s licenses and teen auto accidents cost us around $40.7 billion per year, so the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on the Best & Worst States for Teen Drivers in 202 6, as well as expert commentary, to identify where teens can enjoy this rite of passage while remaining as safe as possible.

WalletHub compared the 50 states based on 23 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of teen driver fatalities to the average cost of car repairs to the presence of impaired-driving laws.

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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 are 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.

The financial implications are staggering, too. Motor vehicle crashes involving 13- to 19-year-olds result in around $40.7 billion per year in costs from medical expenses and work loss. That’s not counting the costs of auto maintenance, insurance premiums, possible traffic citations and other vehicular incidents — expenses that can pile up over time.

To help parents ensure their teens’ safety while also safeguarding their finances, WalletHub analyzed the teen-driving environment in each of the 50 states using a collection of 23 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the number of teen driver fatalities to the average cost of car repairs to the presence of impaired-driving laws.

“Learning to drive is an exciting experience for teens, but the process is equally nerve-wracking for their parents, who know the risks of driving from experience,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst. “The best states for teen drivers promote safety through easy access to driving classes, strict laws for bad behavior on the road and well-maintained roads. They also have residents who drive safely and obey the laws. In addition, some states minimize the costs for insurance and gas, which is a big plus when prices are inflated.”

Source: WalletHub

Best States for Teen Drivers

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Safety Rank	Economic Environment Rank	Driving Laws Rank
1	New York	72.14	2	17	2
2	Oregon	72.00	6	26	1
3	New Jersey	68.01	1	22	12
4	Indiana	63.11	13	8	10
5	Connecticut	62.03	14	37	6
6	Massachusetts	62.01	3	28	20
7	Rhode Island	61.94	17	31	7
8	Washington	60.49	19	46	4
9	West Virginia	60.09	31	16	3
10	Maine	59.96	12	10	21
11	Maryland	59.94	4	23	24
12	California	59.49	10	47	9
13	Alaska	59.38	21	49	5
14	Kentucky	59.04	18	1	26
15	Georgia	58.87	7	48	11
16	Utah	57.96	8	43	18
17	Illinois	56.73	23	24	16
18	Delaware	56.44	22	30	19
19	Texas	55.27	32	3	23
20	South Carolina	54.81	39	33	8
21	Minnesota	54.64	15	13	36
22	Florida	54.43	20	14	37
23	Hawaii	54.00	27	18	27
24	Kansas	53.75	29	7	30
25	Arizona	53.64	34	25	13
26	Pennsylvania	53.29	30	35	15
27	Michigan	53.04	9	4	46
28	North Carolina	52.60	25	29	34
29	Iowa	52.49	28	2	38
30	Virginia	52.38	16	50	25
31	Ohio	52.29	11	11	45
32	Tennessee	52.25	35	34	16
33	Vermont	52.20	5	44	43
34	Nevada	51.94	24	41	32
35	Wisconsin	51.25	26	21	39
36	Louisiana	50.51	38	9	28
37	Oklahoma	50.03	40	5	30
38	New Mexico	49.95	44	27	14
39	Colorado	48.95	42	38	22
40	Arkansas	48.09	43	6	33
41	North Dakota	47.54	33	20	42
42	New Hampshire	46.36	36	32	40
43	South Dakota	43.55	47	12	35
44	Idaho	42.41	37	45	44
45	Nebraska	42.11	41	19	47
46	Alabama	40.46	46	39	41
47	Wyoming	36.45	45	42	48
48	Mississippi	35.88	50	15	29
49	Missouri	29.16	48	36	50
50	Montana	22.78	49	40	49

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.