Driving: Teen motorist ranking is a reason to be proud
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Those who grew up and learned to drive in West Virginia know there is a certain set of skills acquired on those unlined and winding backroads ... in winter. Frankly, we learn how to drive in ways and in places that make visitors gasp.
(Sit us in gridlocked metro traffic for an hour or two in some other state and we become very different people.)
But it's not just that advanced skillset that makes our drivers a little different from a young age. According to WalletHub, the Mountain State is the ninth best state in the country for teen drivers.
In one category -- safety -- we fall a little short, ranking 31st. That's the category where researchers looked at things like the quality of roads, teen drinking and driving, distracted driving, wearing a seatbelt and teen driver fatalities.
But otherwise, West Virginia is 16th for economic environment, the cost of speeding and other tickets, insurance premiums, car repairs and gasoline; and third for driving laws.
Only Oregon and New York do better on that front.
That part of the study looked at driver's licensing program laws, occupant protection laws, impaired-driving laws, distracted-driving laws and such.
They may not be sure how they feel about motorcyclists having to wear a helmet or being allowed to stand up while riding, but lawmakers have done an excellent job crafting a set of rules that protect and support teen drivers.
"Learning to drive is an exciting experience for teens, but the process is equally nerve-wracking for their parents, who know the risks of driving from experience," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "The best states for teen drivers promote safety through easy access to driving classes, strict laws for bad behavior on the road and well-maintained roads. They also have residents who drive safely and obey the laws. In addition, some states minimize the costs for insurance and gas, which is a big plus when prices are inflated."
Now, if we could do something about that "quality of roads" metric.
It's up to all of us, of course, to model good behavior when it comes to driving safely -- without impairment or distraction and WITH our seat belts on. But when it comes to keeping young drivers safer on the roads, it seems West Virginia is firing on all cylinders.