Posted on 04/19/2012 1:36:22 PM PDT by Chickensoup
Young Americans are eschewing cars for alternative transport, leaving carmakers to wonder if this is a recession-induced trend or a permanent shift in habits.
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
“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”
Lol.
My 10 year old daughter started to tell me what kind of a car she wanted when she turned 16. I let her go on for a moment about something yellow with a convertable top. I interupted for a moment to invited her to join me in the driveway to continue the conversation.
Once there and after she paused, I pointed to the 2003 Ford, F150, Crewcab, 4x4 with 165K miles on the odometer and said, “How’d you like to drive that instead?”
When I was 16 we had horses, unless you were rich and your parents could afford a Model T (which you never got to drive). Then WW I cane along followed by prohibition.
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I bet you walked to school too, in the snow, uphill, both ways.
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.
” I bet you walked to school too, in the snow, uphill, both ways. “
Now, that’s just silly — there were a few days in June when it didn’t snow.... ;)
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.
Kids can get a license at 14 if they can prove a hardship
such as having to get to work or needing to transport a disabled parent. It’s called a hardship license. They used to be popular and easy to get back in the day but I don’t think so many are getting them these days.
There are TONS of jobs, kids these days just dont want to WORK.
I don't think that was even taken into consideration when the article was written..........
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.
A lot of states do learner permits at 14 and 15. Farming and whatnot.
I got my drivers license in IL when I was 17 but didn't own my own car until after I got married at 22. I didn't really need a car much when I was in college anyway.
Hi Buckeye! My next to youngest just turned 18, he got his license at 16 1/2 (permit here in PA at 16; 50 hours and six months til test). His insurance is a lot more now than when his next oldest brother (now 23 and off our policy) had when he was a teen—rates have gone up significantly. Our youngest will soon turn 15...once against they have changed the Driver’s Ed protocols and I have read it will change again(longer permit time—older minimum age) when he gets license.
Add in the draconian laws HAVE TO CARRY PROOF that other teens in car are siblings (youngest has to keep school Id with him because we know of another large family that had to “present proof” to Magistrate) of older siing driving younger siblings.
Throw in, as you noted, Cash for Clunkers taking away perfectly good older cars...and no wonder why teens dont drive.
When I was stationed at Ft. Riley, KS some time back, 14 year olds could get limited driver's licenses to get them to school and back. Apparently the population density was so low in some of the bigger farming areas that it was not cost effective to provide bussing. I think a few other mid-west farming states have, or at least had, similar licensing.
Having said that, I really doubt many, if any, 14 year olds would have owned their cars.
According to the table in Wikipedia the following states offer learner's permits at 14:
AK, AR, ID*, IA, KS, MI**, MT***, ND, SD, WY.
*14 yrs 6 mos
**14 yrs 8 mos
***14 yrs 6 mos
“most teens have pretty much given up even trying to get a license until after they turn 18.”
Yep. My son just turned 20 and is not yet licensed. My older daughter was licensed at 17 but she was able to get a summer job back then to pay the expenses on a cheap car. My son has worked hard trying to get a summer job for the last three years and there is just nothing out there in a reasonable enough distance of our home to make car costs worth it. It is very frustrating for my son and his friends who *want* to work. Virtually all fast food jobs in our area, for example, which used to be held by teens are now filled by adults who couldn’t get any other employment.
Under all the new laws, the costs of driver’s ed for mid teens are prohibitive. You have to pay for both behind-the-wheel and online classes, plus the high insurance rates. (It cost us over $100 a month last summer just to insure him while he learned to drive on a permit.) As mentioned here, cash for clunkers also helped remove cheap cars from the market. He’s now away at college where he lives and works on campus and doesn’t need a car. At this rate I’m thinking he may not be a licensed driver until he graduates college and (we pray) has a job.
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.
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