Bad news for Mom and Dad — South Carolina ranks in the top 10 most dangerous states for teen drivers.

The worst, according to WalletHub research, was Wyoming.

The best was New York, perhaps because most New Yorkers don’t even own cars.

Our state ranked behind 40 other states and the District of Columbia with better scores.

That means 9 others states were ranked worse.

We were ranked 34th in teen safety behind the wheel and 31st in laws governing teen drivers.

But for driver education in our schools the numbers could be worse.

A driver’s license is a rite of passage. But this coming-of-age has become a death sentence for thousands of teens each year.

Motor-vehicle accidents are the second leading cause of death among ages 16 to 19.

They also are the age group with the highest risk of crashes.

The financial implications are staggering.

In 2018, motor vehicle crashes involving 15- to 19-year-olds resulted in $4.8 billion in costs from medical expenses and work loss.

That’s not counting the costs of auto repair, insurance premiums, traffic citations and other incidents.

For more details please go to https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-for-teen-drivers/4598