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 every year. Meanwhile, despite representing only 14% of the population, drivers ages 15-24 account for about 30% of the total costs associated with car crashes.

"We aim to equip parents and other concerned adults with facts that will help them safeguard against unforeseeable events when their teens are on the road," the website states. "After all, parents are the ones to shoulder both the emotional and financial burdens of their children's actions."

According to the study, the top-five "best" states for young drivers are New York, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Rhode Island. The bottom-five, or "worst," states are South Dakota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming. In addition to New York and Illinois, the No. 3 and No. 5 most populous states in the U.S., respectively, California, which has the most residents, ranked 11th on the list, while Texas and Florida, which have the second- and fourth-largest populations, ranked 19th and 34th.

The 10 best states for teen drivers are:

1. New York
2. Hawaii
3. Illinois
4. Oregon
5. Rhode Island
6. Massachusetts
7. Maryland
8. Delaware
9. Washington
10. Nevada

The 10 worst states for teen drivers are:

1. South Dakota
2. Mississippi
3. Nebraska
4. Oklahoma
5. Wyoming
6. Arkansas
7. Montana
8. South Carolina
9. Missouri
10. Arizona

Copyright 2015USAToday

Read the original story: The 10 best and worst states for teen drivers

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