Arizona teen drivers costing parents a fortune

PHOENIX — Car insurance rates skyrocket in Arizona when a married couple adds a new teen driver to their plan.

Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst with insurancequotes.com, said many Arizona parents do not realize how high their insurance rates rise when they add a young driver, compared to the rest of the nation.

“In Arizona, what we see is a 93 percent increase, so definitely above the national average there,” Adams said. “It’s really just a difference in regulation, and it also just comes down to what’s going on in that state, as far as statistics with natural disasters and claim rates.”

Young male drivers are more expensive for parents than young female drivers, according to Adams.

“They’re at over a 106 percent increase, while female drivers are right at about an 80 percent increase,” she said.

Adams explained that the difference in percentages is because women are generally safer drivers than men, even at the age of 16.

“We know that male drivers are getting into more accidents; therefore, their rates are higher,” she said.

One tip Adams suggested is to ask car insurance companies if they offer a good student discount.

“This is something that you have got to self-report, so you may have to send in a report card or a letter to the dean,” Adams said.

Above all, Adams said a safe, well-educated teen driver will cost a lot less than a teenage speed demon.