Getting a driver’s license at 16 is considered a rite of passage in American culture. But this exciting coming-of-age has instead become a death sentence for thousands of teens each year. Motor-vehicle accidents continue to be the leading cause of death among people between the ages of 16 and 19, the age group with the highest risk of crashes.

And the financial implications are staggering. Although 15- to 24-year-olds make up only 14 percent of the population, they rack up nearly a third of all costs resulting from motor vehicle injuries. That’s not counting the costs of auto maintenance, insurance premiums, possible traffic citations and other vehicular incidents — expenses that can pile up over time.

As summer progresses, it’s time to reflect on the fact that more teen drivers are newly minted during this season than any other, when an average of 250 teens are killed in car accidents each month.

To help parents ensure their teens’ safety behind the wheel and safeguard their finances against unforeseeable events, WalletHub analyzed the teen-driving environment in the 50 states across 16 key metrics.

Teen Driving Conditions in Massachusetts (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

• 4^th – Number of Teen Driver Fatalities per Teen Population
• 7^th – Number of Teen DUIs per Teen Population
• 1^st – Presence of Distracted-Driving/Texting-While-Driving Laws
• 12^th – Auto Insurance Premium Increase After Adding a Teen Driver to a Policy
• 1^st – Presence of Teen Driver’s Graduated Licensing Program Laws
• 9^th – Number of Vehicle Miles Traveled per Capita
• 27^th – Provision of Occupant- Protection Laws
• 11^th – Quality of Roads
• 14^th – Presence of Impaired-Driving Laws

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