WalletHub released its 2026 Best and Worst States for Teen Drivers report this week, and being the parent of one, I read every word of it.

The good news for Tri-Cities parents: Washington state ranked 8th in the entire country. We are in a good place.

What Washington State Gets Right with Teen Driving

I will be honest, handing over the keys for the first time is one of those parenting moments that changes your relationship with anxiety.

The recent WalletHub study compared all 50 states across 23 key metrics ranging from teen driver fatality rates to insurance costs to the strength of driving laws. Washington’s results are impressive in the categories that matter most.

Washington ranked first in the nation for distracted driving and texting-while-driving laws. First in occupant protection laws. First in impaired driving laws. That is a clean sweep of the three most critical legal frameworks that protect young drivers on the road.

Washington state also ranked sixth for vehicle miles traveled per capita, which means Washington teens are getting real driving experience without being thrown into much high-volume traffic.

The one area where Washington has room to improve is teen driver fatalities per capita.

Our Neighbors to the South Are Even Safer

Washington’s southern neighbor ranked second in the entire country for teen driver safety. Oregon takes driving laws seriously with some of the highest fines in the country for running red lights and not wearing seat belts.

Over 96% of Oregon teens consistently wear a seat belt, which is one of the highest rates in the nation. Oregon also has the second-lowest rate of phone use while driving and the ninth-lowest speeding rate.

The Bottom Line for Pacific Northwest Parents

Teen auto accidents cost Americans approximately $40.7 billion every year. The laws Washington and Oregon have put in place exist specifically to reduce that number for our kids.

Graduated licensing programs, hands-free phone laws, seat belt requirements, and strict impaired driving enforcement are not bureaucratic inconveniences; they are part of a larger framework designed to keep new drivers alive.

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