Massachusetts Tops in Teen Driving Safety: Study

When it comes to the relatively dangerous matter of teen driving, the Bay State is the safest in the country.

Massachusetts is the safest state when it comes to teenagers being behind the wheel, according to a study by carinsurance.com.

The website "analyzed federal data and other sources to reveal the most and least dangerous states for teen drivers."

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Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among teens in the United States, according to carinsurance.com.

Massachusetts graded the best in the study, with Maryland, Alaska, Virginia, and California rounding out the top 5. No state ranked worse than Montana.

The study said that seven percent of teens in Massachusetts drink and drive, 32 percent text/email and drive (the second lowest percentage in the country), and that the average annual insurance cost for teens is $3,752.

The rankings were determined after five weight metrics were considered: Insurance cost (10 percent); Fatal teen crashes (30 percent); Leniency of Graduating Drivers Licensing laws (20 percent); Teen drinking and driving (20 percent); Teen texting and emailing (20 percent).

Carinsurance.com also estimated that teen auto fatalities would be cut by 18 percent if there were stricter GDL laws.

<<<Read the full report here>>>

Photo courtesy of frankieleon via Flickr.