State lawmakers are weighing whether teens should be able to get behind the wheel the moment they turn 15.
Right now a teen can get a learner's permit when they're 15 and a half. Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, wants to move that up by six months. Townsend pointed out Tuesday that the earliest someone can get an actual license is 16.
So she figures that the change would mean that future drivers would get a full year to practice with an adult at their side. But the measure is drawing ire from several of the state's major insurance companies.
Janna Day of the National Safety Council said her organization is also opposed. "They just feel that maturity levels are not sufficient for putting a 15-year-old on the road. And they think the status quo is a better formula."
Townsend sniffed at that contention. "I don't think that much happens between 15 and 15 1/2 biologically," she said. "There's no spring that goes off that makes them better drivers. I think what you need is a full 12 months."
Linda Gorman of triple-A Arizona said Townsend is half right in believing a full year of learning is a good idea. Her solution is to say that teens can't get a full license until 16 and a half. But Gorman conceded the political chance of Arizona actually delaying teen licensure is probably nil.