Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — According to Federal Highway Administration licensing data, New Mexico saw a bigger growth in teen drivers than any other state from 2014 to 2024, a period in which the number of licensed teen drivers here grew 117%. That’s more than double the 52% growth in Arkansas and Utah, which tied for second, while Kentucky reported the biggest decline in the nation — a 57% drop. The year-by-year data shows that the change appears to be primarily driven by more students getting their licenses at younger ages, while data for prior years had suggested 16- and 17-year-olds were waiting. Driving instructors have offered several possible explanations for the shift — including parents who are eager to hand off chauffeur duties. The 2024 report shows teens’ alcohol-involved crash rate had risen to 2.91 per 1,000 licensed teen drivers — the highest rate in a decade, with teenage boys 2.5 times as likely as teenage girls to be involved in an alcohol-related crash.
