New Jersey has many laws in regards to school bus safety. Some important tips on how to keep children safe when driving within their vicinity.
Obtaining a drivers license as a teenager might feel like a golden ticket to freedom. Being able to cruise the highway alone to anywhere you want can be thrilling, but the open road also poses many dangers to new drivers.
According to the CDC, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens ages 16 to 19, with this age group having the highest crash risk.
In addition to the tragic loss of life, the financial toll of these crashes is equally as jarring. Annually, wrecks involving teens from 13 to 19 amount to over 40 billion dollars in medical bills and lost productivity. This number doesn't even cover car repairs, increased insurance premiums and traffic tickets.
To help parents and young drivers stay protected on the road and financially, WalletHub took a look at the driving environment for teens in each state across the country. States were evaluated based on data such as the number of teen fatalities per state to the average cost of car repairs.
Despite the stereotypes of our terrible drivers, New Jersey took third place for the safest states for teen drivers.
In the Garden State, strict road laws, high insurance premiums and the nation's third most driving schools per capita reinforce safety for new drivers on the road. The state also has the third lowest teen fatality rates in the country, as well as the third lowest percentage of teen drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol. Texting while driving among teens in NJ is also at a minimum, at the 11th lowest percentile.
Despite major traffic in the big cities, neighbor New York takes the crown as the number one safest state for teen drivers, largely due to the fact that it has the second-fewest teen driver fatalities per capita (only behind Rhode Island), as well as the most driving schools per capita.
On the opposite coast, Oregon secures second place for safest teen driving due to strict driving laws and some of the nation's highest fines for road violations. With the seventh best road quality in the country, teens gain better experience overcoming hazards.
Here's a breakdown of the overall ranking for 2025's best and worst states for teen driving:
Best States for teen drivers
Worst states for teen drivers