National Survey Puts New York Near the Top in Most Categories, Including Safety, Driving Laws and Driver Training
A recent traffic safety analysis of all 50 states ranks New York as the overall best state for teen drivers for the third consecutive year. New York State held steady at the top of the 2026 WalletHub study, which looked at many factors, including the number of teen driver fatalities, the availability of driver education and the existence of driver training and impaired driving laws.
New York came out on top among all other states as a result of being near the front of the pack across many categories, including having the fourth-fewest teen driver fatalities per capita, the fourth-lowest percentage of drivers who use phones while driving, and the third-lowest prevalence of poor turning (turning while accelerating too much). New York ranked second overall in safety and second in effective driving laws.
“As a father of two young daughters I take our responsibility for safety of our youngest drivers seriously, and hopefully this study reassures parents that New York is leading the way when it comes to road safety,” said New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt. “Because most crashes involving teen drivers are the result of inexperience, inattention, impairment and nighttime driving, the state has adopted a series of programs and rules to target these risky practices. We’re thrilled to achieve this ranking, and we will continue to educate young people to better prepare them to be safer and more responsible drivers.”
The WalletHub analysis also found that New York has the most driving schools per capita, the third-fewest teen DUI arrests per capita, and that New York has nearly all the optimal driving laws recommended by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
WalletHub analyzed 23 key metrics across all 50 states, specifically looking at safety, accidents and injuries, and state laws. They used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the American Automobile Association and more organizations.
Car crashes remain a leading cause of death for teens aged 16 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2024, New York State teen drivers were over-represented in crashes: 7 percent of the drivers in crashes were 16-20, while representing only 4 percent of all licensed drivers.
As part of New York’s ongoing efforts to promote teen driver safety, DMV and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) sponsor and implement initiatives throughout the year directly aimed at educating teens and young drivers. DMV’s annual “No Empty Chair” teen driving safety campaign raises awareness of highway dangers in the hope there will be no empty chairs during prom and graduation season. Another program provides schools with speakers who share personal crash experiences as a victim or having lost a loved one.
In October, GTSC co-hosted an educational program at a state college to honor Emilee Rawleigh, who died at the age of 21 in a car crash. Emilee’s mom and the Steuben County’s Sheriff’s Office created a display, including wreckage from the crash, to help young people see and feel the consequences of distracted, impaired driving or intoxicated driving.
Also, NASCAR driver Ross Chastain has partnered with GTSC’s Protect Your Melon initiative, and they visit high schools throughout the state to demonstrate the importance of seat belt safety to young people, who are often the least likely to properly use and wear seat belts.
Beyond educating students about safe driving through these campaigns, state and local law enforcement increase patrols near local high schools statewide, and officers strictly enforce violations of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law. The GDL law requires teens under age 18 to gain successful driving experience before expanding the times and places they can drive. DMV recently hosted representatives of the UK who wanted to learn more about DMV’s driver licensing and road safety measures, particularly those relating to graduated driver licensing.
Finally, the GTSC website provides many resources for teens and parents, including a young drivers tool kit. These helpful resources can be used in homes and schools to supplement other ongoing programs the DMV and GTSC offers for teen drivers.