Teenagers are often eager to start driving, but getting behind the wheel is one of the riskiest things they’ll do, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens ages 16 to 19, with a fatal crash rate three times higher than drivers ages 20 and over, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Missouri teens are especially at risk compared to other states. Financial website WalletHub ranked the state as the second worst for teen drivers in 2023. The financial website’s 2024 ranking says that hasn’t changed.

A total of 2,883 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2022, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says. Teenagers also accounted for 7% of motor vehicle crash deaths.

WalletHub analyzed the teen driving environment in all 50 states across three categories — safety, economic environment and driving laws — and found that Missouri is the second worst state in the country for teen drivers. The website used statistics from the CDC, U.S. Census Bureau, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and FBI.

Here’s how Missouri ranked among the 50 states in WalletHub’s individual metrics:

• 47th in distracted driving and texting while driving laws

• 47th in vehicle miles traveled per capita

• 47th in impaired driving laws

• 40th most teen driver fatalities per 100,000 teens

• 37th for poor quality of roads

• 34th most teen DUIs per 100,000 teens

When compared to the states, Missouri ranked 45th in the safety category, 28th the economic environment category and 50th in the driving laws category.

On a scale of 100, Missouri finished with a score of 31.68, two points better than last year’s score of 29.93. The lower the number, the worse the state ranked.

It’s six points ahead of Montana, which was ranked the worst state for teen drivers in the country for a second consecutive year. Wyoming, Idaho and North Dakota round out the top five.

The best state for teen driving is New York, passing Oregon.

Source: WalletHub

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Jadeon Carter from Lincoln, Nebraska, has made a verbal commitment to the University of Missouri for the 2025-26 school year and beyond.

“I chose Missouri because of the academic resources and the athletic resources they provide. The team culture makes it feel like home and all of the staff and swimmers are very supportive of me.”

Carter is a rising senior at Lincoln East High School. He swims year-round with Lincoln Select Swimming and is a Winter U.S. Open qualifier in the 200 backstroke. In high school swimming, he is the reigning Nebraska state champion in the 200 free (1:41.20) and 500 free (4:35.12). He holds school records in the 200 fre, 500 free, and 200 free relay, and he made the Academic All-Conference and Athletic All-Conference state teams.

In club swimming, Carter holds the Midwestern Swimming LSC record in the boys’ 13-14 500 free. This summer, he clocked a handful of LCM best times at Columbia Sectionals, placing 13th in the 200 free (1:58.08, PB), 13th in the 400 free (4:11.33), 7th in the 800 free (8:36.40), 16th in the 100 back (59.76 in prelims, PB), 6th in the 200 back (2:06.44, PB), and 12th in the 200 IM (2:12.90, PB). Two weeks later he competed at Midwestern Swimming Long Course Championships, where he won the 200/400/1500 free, 200 back, and 200 IM, and was runner-up in the 100 back. He picked up new times in the 100 free (55.39), 1500 free (16:47.07), and (50 back (29.33).

Best SCY times:

• 200 free – 1:41.20
• 500 free – 4:34.01
• 1000 free – 9:38.10
• 200 back – 1:50.43
• 100 back – 52.41

Carter will join the Tigers’ class of 2029 with fellow verbal commits Drew Ploof, Ben Madson, and Sebastian Gonzalez Barboza. Mizzou finished 8th out of 10 teams in the men’s meet at the 2024 SEC Championships.

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Missouri State football season has arrived and an offseason of looking to the 2025 season and its impending move to Conference USA will be set aside for the Bears’ final season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and FCS.

Opening day will present quite a challenge.

Missouri State will open its 2024 season at FCS national runner-up Montana on Saturday in Missoula, Montana, at 8 p.m. This is the first time the two teams have met on the gridiron.

Ryan Beard is entering his second season as Missouri State’s head coach. His team will look to build off a 4-7 season while staying focused on this season despite being ineligible for the FCS Playoffs.

Montana finished last season as the FCS national runner-up. The Grizzlies hope to finish the job this season as they enter the season as the No. 3-ranked team in the country.

Check here for live score updates and highlights throughout the night:

Subscribe to ESPN+ to stream Missouri State vs. Montana

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