Arizona teens using a graduated instruction permit to drive with adult supervision do not need to be added to an insurance policy. But once they’re driving on their own, they will need to be insured. You can help keep costs lower by raising the deductible, asking about a good student discount, enrolling your teen in a defensive driving class and letting him or her drive only a mid-sized sedan with advanced crash protection, according to 2 Pass Defensive Driving . Insurers will likely charge more if your teen drives a sports car or SUV, since sports cars encourage speeding and SUVs may roll over in a crash.
Arizona has a graduated driver’s license system that allows kids to get a learners’ permit at age 15½ and a Graduated Drivers License at 16, but according to Gordon Fox at  2Pass Defensive Driving School, it needs significant improvement. Fox commends Arizona’s six month’s learner’s phase, but he has encouraged the state to extend restrictions on teen drivers to age 17, and require 30 to 50 hours of supervised driving during the learner’s permit phase.