All states require some type of financial responsibility for the drivers on the roads there. Most states have a basic requirement for insurance with minimum coverage amounts. In Arizona, the state minimum coverage includes:

• $15,000 per person or $30,000 per accident for bodily injury
• $10,000 for property damage

The average cost of insurance nationwide is $1,790. The average cost of insurance in Arizona is right on par with that amount at $1,786. Remember, there are many factors that can change the cost of your own insurance.

Average Cost of Auto Insurance in Arizona

State minimum insurance is meant to protect the driver of a car in the case of an accident, however, the amount that it covers is often far less than the actual cost incurred during an accident. An accident that involves a death can easily cost more than a million dollars after everything is said and done. An injury can cost several thousand dollars and may involve a personal lawsuit if the injuries are very serious. It is important to keep those facts in mind when choosing insurance coverage. The more cars that are involved in an accident, the higher the overall cost is likely to go. Certain types of damage could also increase the cost of an accident.

Accidents Are Unpredictable

An accident is called that because you never know when or how they will happen. In Arizona, here are some of the most common causes of accidents:

• 53% of crashes in 2009 happened because of drivers leaving the roadway.
• 22% of all fatalities occurred in or around an intersection.
• 11% of all accidents involved a large truck.
• More than 140 pedestrians or bicyclists have been hit by a driver in the state in a single year.
• Three out of every ten accidents in Arizona involved alcohol.
• The cost of all accidents, from minor, non-injury accidents to serious, fatality causing accidents cost the state more than four billion dollars per year.

Even though they are unpredictable, accidents do follow a pattern. Some examples:

• The peak month for all accidents was December
• The peak day for crashes was Friday with the peak time of 5-6pm.
• For fatal crashes, the peak month is August, and the peak day is Saturday.
• The most common type of accident is a rear end collision.
• The most common driver violation is driving too fast for the conditions.

Getting the Best Coverage at the Best Prices

Your car insurance cost is determined by a number of different factors. These include things that you have absolutely no control over, such as your age, and other factors that you do control. Because some of these things change frequently, it is important to check your insurance coverage for possible new discounts and other ways to save even a few dollars. Your insurance agent will give you a quote for insurance based on this information:

• Your age, gender and marital status
• Whether or not you are a homeowner
• Your location
• The type of car that you drive including its age
• The number of miles that you drive each year
• Your credit history
• Your current occupation as well

Before you renew your policy, make sure that you are checking for any changes to these things. Also, some policies require that anyone who is living in the house be listed on the policy and covered or explicitly excluded from coverage. If your child is living at home and drives the car even one time, he or she should be covered on your insurance policy or covered on his or her own and excluded from coverage with your car. Some companies begin this requirement as early as the age of 114 for household residents, while others use 16.

The number of miles that you drive each year is often used to determine insurance because the higher that number, the more likely you are to be involved in a crash. If you change jobs and drive much shorter distances per year, this could mean a substantial savings in your auto insurance costs.