Tenn. ranks 6th in U.S. in teen driving deaths

A study of teen fatality rates by an insurance company shows Tennessee remains one of the deadliest states for drivers in that age group.

According to the study conducted by Allstate, Tennessee ranked sixth in the nation for driving deaths and the Nashville region fourth among 50 metropolitan areas.

The study, which was based on 2000-06 numbers and released last month, cited speeding and lack of seat belt use as the most common problems, The Tennessean reports.

Safety officials and researchers can't point to one reason the state outranks others but list factors such as the lack of mandated driver training, poor seat belt use and texting while driving.

Tennessee's narrow and winding rural roadways also can be deadly for inexperienced drivers.