Hawaii ranks among the 10 best states for its traffic safety laws, according to a new study out last week by a Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy group.

The report, from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, evaluated the states based on 15 laws that the group deems essential for traffic safety — and helping to prevent vehicle accident deaths.

Those key laws range from so-called "primary enforcement" of seat belts (where no other violations are needed first to pull over a driver for seat-belt infractions) to bans on texting while driving. On its website, Advocates describes itself as an alliance of consumer, medical and safety groups with insurance companies.

Hawaii, along with the other nine top states, scored a "green" ranking — largely for a new law that allows police to pull over and ticket drivers if their backseat passengers aren’t wearing seat belts (not just those riding in the front).

Hawaii is in the minority among states in enforcing such a law, Advocates President Jackie Gillan said Thursday.

"Right now, we’re focusing on the rear seat belt law," she said of the group’s nationwide efforts. "It is very dangerous for people to be riding back there unrestrained."

The Aloha State was joined by California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington. The District of Columbia also scored green.

Meanwhile, the worst states, scoring a red ranking, were Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

The Advocates study did not consider restrictions tied to riding in pickup truck beds, Gillan said.

Hawaii state law allows passengers over age 12 to travel in a pickup cargo area as long as there’s no seating available in the vehicle cab. In that case, the side racks and tailgate must be securely attached and closed and passengers in the truck bed must be seated on the floor.

However, the islands are hardly unique in permitting the practice. Virtually all states allow passengers to travel in pickup beds to some extent, and 20 states don’t have any laws regulating the practice, according to a report issued this month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Gillan called the practice a "dangerous loophole" to the safety laws her group considers.

"We did not include that," she said. "We may include that next year."

She said she’s even more worried about Hawaii’s motorcycle helmet law, which only requires riders 17 years old or younger to wear a helmet. Hawaii once required all riders to wear helmets, but repealed that law in 1977, Gillan said.