For generations of American teenagers, the car was the paramount symbol of independence. But in the age of Facebook and iPhones, young adults are getting fewer drivers’ licences, driving less frequently and moving to cities where cars are more luxury than necessity.
Figures from the Federal Highway Administration show the share of 14 to 34-year-olds without a driver’s licence rose to 26 per cent in 2010, from 21 per cent a decade earlier, according to a study by the Frontier Group and the US PIRG Education Fund released this month.
My 20 year old female cousin never took driver’s ed and doesn’t even have a learner’s permit. As far as she’s concerned, she can check bus schedules on her iPhone and stay in touch with friends through Facebook and Skype.
When I was 16, my friends and I would spent Friday nights trolling the mall, ice skating, going out for ice cream and heading down to the beach to drive the strip. Some of had beepers and would hit up pay phones if we needed to make a call (this was just 15 years ago, mind you). Society is on its ear.
I don’t know about the rest of the US of A but in MN - a highly liberal state - a youth cannot obtain a license until the age of 16. Seems to me using a data set that extends to 14 to make a point of license decline is a bit misleading.
First thing PIRG is a leftist organization that is cheering this issue on and has let out press releases about it so it has been covered several different ways.
Next, if the laws were not so draconian and the costs so high, many more young people would be behind the wheel. My son recently put his dirtbike on the trail, and it cost 500 in taxes and insurance (a 2002!) and around here kids are not permitted to ride on trails along or with other kids until they are 16. Amazing, all that time kids could learn how to bike safely off road...gone!
The legislatures seem to be focusing on making driving an expensive and difficult task, like getting a concealed carry permit.
I chalk it up to sky-high insurance. When I had a teen in the house, the mere act of getting him a license would have caused my car insurance to triple.
This way, Husein can blame Facebook and iphones for a decline in demand for fuel, rather than high gas prices shutting out new young drivers.
Two points (sorry for the introduction of some potential logical explanation):
1. Parents can’t afford to buy additional vehicles or to ensure their teens.
2. The statistics include the dissabled and college students that often don’t drive until they graduate if at all.
|
That's 'cuz they're lame asses. Not cool. This is cool. |
The MADD crowd has been piling so many restrictions on teenage drivers (no driving after 11PM, and no other teens in the car, and only drive on Tuesdays and Thursdays except during the full moon, must have a man on a bicycle 20 yards out in front waving a red flag at all times, etc.) that most teens have pretty much given up even trying to get a license until after they turn 18.
That and the extremely high insurance costs. And Cash for Clunkers has turned any car that a teenage guy might afford into a boat anchor.
Another tactic by organized labor to drive them out of the labor force I suppose.
I have been to places where the public transportation is good like Japan. My wife’s aunt/uncle never had a driver’s license. They live about 5 minutes from the train station. Here in the US, unless you live in the big cities like NYC or SF, if you need to get around, it has to be by automobile.
At the end of May, I am doing an almost car free vacation to California. I fly into San Jose, go to an Anime Convention and after the convention, I get a car and drive to Santa Cruz for a couple of days and then return the car back to SJ then take the Capitol Corridor train to Davis, CA and stay there until Sunday and then fly home. I may get a car the day before I leave so I can go to Chico and pay a visit to a friend who just moved there and drop the car off in Sacramento before I fly home.
My kids won’t be getting licenses until the ripe old age of 18. In our state, homeschooled kids must either enroll part time in the public school system and take driver’s Ed (not going to happen) or enroll in an approved private company’s driver’s Ed (cheapest I’ve seen was $500 and we’ve still got 4 yrs before the eldest will be ready. Lots of time for prices to go higher). And then our insurance goes up. We’ve kept it low ever since I turned 25 (or whatever the magic age is), so that’s not going to be a time for cheer. Lol
My guess: Illegal aliens.
“Young Americans turn away from driving”
Young Americans prohibited from driving.
There, that’s more like it; it was giving the impression that there was a voluntary decision to reject automobiles or something. Next it will be: “Young Americans turn away from opportunity”
I wonder what the majority of those kids was in the 14 - 16 year range? Last I heard, you don't get a learners permit until 16......So whassup with the 14 and 15 year olds?
Adding more to the zombie list. They’ll never make it out of the cities when it hits the fan. That’s good for the rest of us.
Wonder how much of it is the failure to launch crowd. They don’t have any money so they can’t buy their own cars, can always borrow mom and dad’s, at least until they get busted for drunk driving too many times and get their license suspended. That’s my loser nephew-in-law’s path, his license was suspended for 4 years (would have been 2 but AZ suspensions start the day after you pay your fine, being a loser he didn’t have that kind of money). He finally has his license back but his mom learned half her lesson and won’t let him drive her car, still let’s him live there though so she hasn’t learned the whole lesson.
I was was just telling my sister about how guys and cars used to be.
I remember the guys loved their cars and couldn’t wait to have one,work on it and show it off.
You go by a HS now and .....what a difference!They drive mom and dad’s MB,BMW,Prius.That’s why they don’t need cars.
I’m not taking PT.It’s crazy out here in Ca.Someone is always ranting,swearing,fighting on the bus and transit.
Forget it.
Now is the time for all young Americans to avoid buying anything that they don’t need, become more self-sufficient each month and become more technically skilled. Have fun. Enjoy the slide. Take out the trash.
Being around teens all the time, my take on it is that it is far too expensive. The insurance companies charge punitive rates that discourage teen driving, and sky-high gas prices also discourage it. Add to it double-digit unemployment and you find a lot of parents who can barely afford to drive themselves- forget about getting the kids a car.
It’s STUDENT LOANS. These psych majors have to live at home now, since they otherwise don’t have a prayer in paying back their loans. It’s also gentrification of the cities - now young singles and couples can live in at least some of the cities and not get rolled every month. So they do...and they don’t need cars there.