National Survey Names New York State Best for Teen Drivers | Hudsonvalley360.com

Conducted by WalletHub, the survey also ranked New York state as the safest in the country for teen drivers. Since 2003, New York State has seen an 80% reduction in fatal traffic crashes involving a young driver, based on 2017 data. Injury crashes involving young drivers have decreased by 61%.

“Ensuring teen drivers are safe on our roads is a top priority for New York State,” said Mark JF Schroeder, Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Chairman of GTSC. “So we are very pleased and proud to be recognized by WalletHub as not only the safest state, but also the best state for teen drivers. This is a testament to our efforts to help teens develop safe driving skills and avoid distractions and other dangerous behaviors on the road.

The survey focused on three key areas: safety, economic environment and driving laws, using 23 weighted metrics to rank all 50 states.

WalletHub collected data from the US Census Bureau, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, EverQuote, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Road Information Program, from CarMD, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, CarInsurance.com, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the American Automobile Association and WalletHub research.

WalletHub said it ranked New York first, largely because the state has the second lowest rate of teen driver fatalities per capita, the fourth lowest percentage of drivers who use a phone while driving and the third lowest prevalence of wrong turns (also turning while accelerating). a lot). WalletHub also noted that the state has the most driving schools per capita, the seventh fewest teen drunk driving arrests per capita, and the seventh lowest proportion of teens who send texting while driving.

New York also has almost all of the best driving laws recommended by traffic safety advocates and the lowest auto insurance premiums in the United States, WalletHub said.

As part of New York State’s ongoing efforts to promote teen driver safety, GTSC sponsors and implements initiatives throughout the year that directly target teen and young drivers. For example, the “No Empty Chair” safety, education and law enforcement campaign for teens raises awareness of road hazards in the hope that there will be no empty chairs during the prom and graduation season.

Through an ongoing partnership with NASCAR driver Ross Chastain and GTSC’s Protect Your Melon initiative, GTSC and Chastain visit high schools across the state each year to demonstrate the importance of seat belt safety to young people, who are often the least likely to use and wear it correctly. seat belts. GTSC also works closely with Students Against Drunk Driving and sponsors a Coaches Care program, which uses both teen peers and mentors to disseminate critical safety information to young New Yorkers.

Beyond educating students on safe driving through this campaign, state and local law enforcement are increasing patrols near local high schools across the state, and officers are strictly enforcing Violations of the Graduated Driving Licensing Act (GDL).

The GDL aims to give young drivers time to gain critical experience in various traffic scenarios in a safe and controlled manner. Parents, guardians, educators, and teens can find more information about the graduated driver licensing law on the GTSC website.

Finally, the GTSC website has many resources for teens and parents, including a toolkit for young drivers. These helpful resources can be used in homes and schools to complement other ongoing programs offered by GTSC for teen drivers.

For more information about GTSC and requirements for teen drivers, visit trafficsafety.ny.gov or follow the conversation online on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.