Survey: Oklahoma One Of The Worst States For Teen Drivers

The state of Oklahoma ranks near the bottom of a new survey on the best and worst states for teen drivers.

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among American teenagers -- and some states have a far worse track record than others.

A new report by the personal finance website WalletHub.com uses those statistics as well as other safety and financial data to compile a list of the best and worst states for teen drivers overall.

Overall, WalletHub.com ranks these as the worst states for teen drivers:

• 50. South Dakota
• 49. Mississippi
• 48. Nebraska
• 47. Oklahoma
• 46. Wyoming

And these states ranked best overall:

• 1. New York
• 2. Hawaii
• 3. Illinois
• 4. Oregon
• 5. Rhode Island

New Mexico had the highest rate of teen "under the influence" traffic violations, while Alabama had the lowest.

"Young drivers tend to overestimate their own driving abilities and, at the same time, underestimate the dangers on the road," Garry Lapidus, an associate professor of pediatrics and public health at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, said in a statement.

The WalletHub.com survey says Oklahoma ranks 50th in the Safety Conditions category, which takes into account percent of teens with driver's licenses, teen driver fatalities per licensed teen drivers, number of teen "under the influence" traffic violations per licensed teen drivers and quality of roads.

Experts recommend parents spend as much time as possible teaching their kids how to drive safely.