Sixteen-year-old Ashley Thompson died in this Jeep Cherokee that
she was driving in 2003. / Fairfax County, Va., Police
Statistically, some states are better than others for teen
drivers: New York is the best; South Dakota is the worst.
That's according to personal-finance website, which conducted a
study comparing state-by-state totals for elements such as teen
driver fatalities, impaired-driving laws and average cost of car
repairs. The Best and Worst States for Teen Drivers study ranks
all 50 states, excluding the District of Columbia.  The study
results come just in time for summer. Saturday marked the
official first day of the warm-weather season, which, in
addition to being a fun time of beaches and backyard barbecues,
is a particularly deadly time for teen drivers. On average, 260
teens are killed in car accidents each month between Memorial
Day and Labor Day, compounded by the fact that young people are
already at the highest risk for crashes of any age group at any
other time, with thousands dying