A study by financial comparison site Forbes Advisor analyzed each state on multiple factors that impact young drivers, including the number of crashes involving a young driver (aged 15-20), the average used car price, teen auto insurance rates, gas prices, and percentage of acceptable roads in the state to see which one is the worst.
Analysis of the data revealed that Louisiana is the worst state to be a young driver, with the state having the highest teen car insurance rates in the country, costing $5,587 per year. This is more than double the national average rate of $2,109. Figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that there were 408 fatal crashes involving a young driver (aged 15-20) between 2015 and 2019, which is an average of 116 crashes per 100,000 young people, 41% higher than the national average. The Pelican State also has a low number of acceptable roads, with only 75% of the roads being rated as having good levels of smoothness by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Coming in at second on the list is West Virginia, which also has a high number of unsafe roads, with only 69% of all roads in the state being acceptable, compared to the national median of 82.2%. West Virginia also has the third-highest price for a used car at $38,396, which is 10% higher than the national average of $34,852. The state also has a high rate of young driver fatal crashes at 112 per 100,000 young people.
Mississippi is third on the list of worst states for young drivers. Like the top two states, it has a high number of unacceptable roads with 73% of roads in the state being safe to drive on. The Magnolia State has the highest rate of young driver crashes between 2015-19 in America at 176 per 100,000 young people.
At fourth on the list is California. Although the state has a lower rate of young driver crashes, at 65 per 100,000 young people, other factors bring the state down. The main reason is the average gas price in the state, which, according to AAA, is the highest in the country at $5.841 per gallon, roughly 33% higher than the national average of $4.404. Further, more than a third of roads in California are unsafe to drive on. And the average price of a used car in California is $565 higher than the national average, with young drivers in California expected to pay $35,417 for a used car.
New Mexico ranks fifth on the list, as the state has a high rate of young driver crashes at 134 per 100,000 young people, along with higher-than-average gas prices at $4.49. The state also has poor quality roads, with 68% being deemed safe enough to drive on.
At the other end of the scale, Georgia is the best state to be a young driver, in part due to the lowest fuel costs in the country at $3.901 per gallon. Georgia also has the cheapest teen car insurance, costing $970 a year for a young driver to be insured, which is $1,139 cheaper than the national average. The percentage of acceptable roads is also very high, with 93% of the roads deemed safe to drive on.
Massachusetts is the second-best state to be a young driver, mainly thanks to its status as the safest state for young drivers, having the lowest rate of crashes involving a young driver between 2015-19 at 31 per 100,000 young people. Used car prices in The Bay State are also among the cheapest in the country at $32,953, which is nearly $2,000 cheaper than the national average.
“Being able to drive is important for many young Americans, but this data shows that the experience can vary considerably between states,” a spokesman for Forbes Advisor said. “If you are a young driver in one of the worst states, take note of whether road conditions are bad or the number of fatal crashes is high and make sure you’re prepared when getting behind the wheel.”
