Advocates has called on Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs to veto House Bill (HB) 2003. This measure would reduce the minimum age for instruction permits by six months to 15 years old. In doing so, it will erode the graduated driver licensing (GDL) law and threaten the safety of novice teen drivers and all who share the roads with them.
The number of drivers ages 15-20 involved in fatal crashes went up 96 percent from 2015 to 2024. Especially considering this deadly upturn, the state’s GDL law should be improved rather than weakened.
Teenagers drive less than all but the oldest drivers, yet their number of crashes and crash deaths are disproportionately high.
In addition to preventing fatalities and injuries, GDL laws save states money. The NHTSA estimated the economic cost of police-reported crashes involving drivers between 15 and 20 years old in the U.S. was $40.8 billion in 2002. When adjusted for inflation, that amounts to $74.9 billion in 2026 dollars.
Read the full letter here.
Advocates previously urged House leadership to oppose HB 2003 in February and in January urged the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to oppose HB 2003. We also opposed the measure in the Senate.