NEW JERSEY — New Jersey ranks as the third-best state in the nation for teen drivers in 2026, according to a new study released by personal-finance website WalletHub.
WalletHub compared all 50 states across 23 key metrics to determine where teenagers can drive as safely and affordably as possible. The measures included teen driver fatalities, teen DUI rates, the average cost of vehicle repairs and the presence of impaired- and distracted-driving laws.
New Jersey ranked third for teen driver fatalities per 100,000 teens and 13th for teen DUIs per 100,000 teens.
The Garden State tied for first in several categories, including the presence of distracted-driving and texting-while-driving laws, graduated driver licensing program laws and impaired-driving laws.
New Jersey also ranked seventh for occupant-protection laws, seventh for road quality and ninth for vehicle miles traveled per capita.
WalletHub noted that summer is a popular time for teenagers to obtain their driver’s licenses. According to the report, crashes involving teen drivers cost about $40.7 billion annually nationwide.
The study used 23 metrics to calculate the overall rankings, with New Jersey finishing No. 3 nationally.
