Methodology for States With Toughest Driving Laws

In a first-ever analysis, we examined each state's graduated driver licensing, seat belt, and DUI laws and awarded points based on strictness. See a break down of the best and worst driving laws state-by-state.

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Using a grading system for state driving laws devised by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Reader's Digest (RDA) looked at the three that were most applicable to teen drivers: graduated drivers licenses, seat belts laws and DUI laws aimed at drivers under 21. The IIHS awards grades of good, fair, marginal and poor. To perform our calculation, RDA awarded 4 points for good, 3 points for fair, 2 points for marginal and 1 point for poor. All categories were weighted evenly.

Our numerical scores were then divided into four categories: best, good, fair and worst. Please note that we only evaluated how comprehensive a state's laws are. It is possible that a state with a good grade could have a high teen fatality rate because of other factors, such as high speed limits or the prevalence of rural roadways.

The IIHS, in collaboration with Reader's Digest, calculated the number of fatalities for teen drivers and their teen passengers per 100,000 teenagers in each state. To get a reliable sample, we looked at data over a 10-year period from 1997-2006. This is the first time that this ranking has appeared in a national magazine.

See a break down of the best and worst driving laws state-by-state.
From Reader's Digest - August 2008
 
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