A recent traffic safety analysis by WalletHub ranks New York as the overall best state for teen drivers for the third consecutive year. According to the State DMV, the state held steady at the top of the 2026 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. 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.
