Estimated 12 percent of Ariz. drivers without insurance

An estimated 12 percent of Arizona drivers do not have legally-required insurance.

According to USA Today, Arizona's uninsured driver rate is lower than the national average - 13.8 percent.

Experts said the bad economy has forced people to cut back and some opt to drop their insurance, despite it being required by 49 states, the sole exception being New Hampshire.

"Laws in most states have proven ineffective in reducing the numbers of drivers who are uninsured," [Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute], says. "Some drivers can't afford insurance, and some drivers with surcharges for accidents or serious traffic violations don't want to pay the high premiums that result from a poor driving record. It is costly to track down violators of compulsory insurance laws, and unless the odds of getting caught are high and the penalties severe, drivers will continue to flout the law."

The states with the highest rate of uninsured drivers - 28 percent - was Mississippi and the lowest was Massachusetts, with a rate around four percent.