Study: Missouri among worst states for teen drivers

ST. LOUIS - If your preparing your teenager to begin driving on the roadways, a new study suggests that they avoid beginning in Missouri.

Wallethub recently published a study that places Missouri as one of the worst states for teenagers to drive in. According to Save MO Lives, car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens in Missouri.

Wallethub's study used 23 key metrics to evaluate the driving environments for teenagers in all 50 states. Wallethub then distributed the metrics and placed them into three categories: safety, the economic environment, and driving laws.

Missouri was ranked 49th out of the 50 U.S. states by Wallethub, receiving a total score of 27.64. Missouri only ranked higher than Montana, which was given a total score of 23.00. Within the overall score, the Show-Me state was ranked 47th for its safety, 40th its economic environment, and last in driving laws.

Despite heavy traffic congestion within the state, Wallethub ranked New York as the best state for teen drivers, followed by Oregon, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Kentucky, respectively.