Connecticut and Rhode Island fared well in a recent ranking of states for their teen driving environment. Rhode Island was among the top 10 states with the most favorable conditions, and Connecticut was close behind.

The site WalletHub, which provides credit reports as well as rankings on a number of financial and social subjects, based its conclusions on several different factors. These included safety conditions, driving laws, and the economic environment in each state, with the potential to add up to a perfect score of 100.

Connecticut earned a score of 62.12 and was ranked 13th overall. It ranked 14th in safety conditions, 19th in driving laws, and 22nd in economic environment.

Rhode Island was ninth overall with a score of 63.68. This state was eighth in safety conditions, 16th in driving laws, and 29th in economic environment.

WalletHub named New York as the best state for teen drivers, with a score of 74.97. It edged out Oregon, with a score of 73.61, and Illinois, which had a score of 72.45.

A total of 16 metrics were used in the report, and these qualities were weighted according to importance. Safety conditions counted for the most points, with each state having the potential to earn up to 50 points in the category. These factors included the number of teen driver fatalities per 100,000 teenagers in the state, teen miles driven per capita, the number of teen violations of driving under the influence per 100,000 teenagers in the state, and the quality of the roads.

Driving laws counted for up to 30 points and considered the state's strictness on DUI violations as well as laws related to graduated driver licensing, impaired driving, occupant protection, distracted driving, red light cameras, and speed cameras. The economic environment category was worth 20 points and included the costs for tickets, adding a teen to a parent's auto insurance policy, vehicle repairs, and insurance premiums.

Rhode Island had the second fewest teen driver fatalities per capita, but also had the fifth highest premium increase for adding a teen to an auto insurance policy. Connecticut had the fourth highest average cost of vehicle repairs. New York had the second lowest insurance premium increase and the fourth lowest number of teen DUIs per capita.

Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York were among the 13 states cited as having the best graduated driver licensing laws in the nation. WalletHub classified these states as having at least five of seven optimal provisions for teen drivers. These included a minimum age of 16 for a learner's permit; a six-month holding period; 30 to 50 hours of supervised driving; restrictions on driving at night, with passengers, or while using a cell phone; and a minimum age of 18 for an unrestricted license.

Alabama had the lowest number of teen DUIs per capita. However, it was also among the five states named as having the worst graduated driver licensing laws, with less than two of the optimal provisions in place. Other states in this group included Arizona, Mississippi, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Delaware was ranked first for safety conditions, and was also named one of the best states for graduated driver licensing laws. This state had the fewest teen driver fatalities per capita, but also had the most expensive average vehicle repair costs.

Hawaii ranked first for economic environment, and had the lowest premium increase for adding a teen to an auto insurance policy. Washington placed first in the driving laws category.

South Dakota had the poorest overall rating with a score of 23.44, ranked at the bottom for driving laws, and had the highest number of teen DUIs per capita. Wyoming came in last in the safety conditions category and was ranked second to last overall with a score of 26.9; it also had the most teen driver fatalities per capita and the second highest premium increase for adding a teen to an auto insurance policy, although it had the lowest average cost for vehicle repairs.

New Hampshire ranked 35th overall with a score of 51.06, but was last in the economic conditions category. WalletHub found that this state had the highest premium increases for adding a teen driver to an auto insurance policy.

The data for the study came from WalletHub researchers as well as Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, CarMD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Governors Highway Safety Association, InsuranceQuotes.com, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Road Information Program, and the U.S. Census Bureau.