The percentage of teens with a smartphone is now higher than those who have a driver’s license.
Detroit has seen a lot of changes through the years—the rise of Japanese manufacturing, the growth of SUVs and trucks replacing the station wagon, and now the birth of the electric car. But there is one change they probably were not expecting: that people would just stop driving. That’s right—what was once the dream of every teenager—getting a driver’s license—has fallen off dramatically in the last few decades.
In 1983, nine in 10 19-year-olds had a license, but that number has now fallen to about two-thirds. The decline is even more severe among 17-year-olds. Just 30 years ago, nearly seven in 10 of those kids had a license; now that has dropped to less than half, 46%. And no license means no car. Not only are demographics changing so that there are fewer teenagers than ever before relative to the rest of us, fewer of them will be able to drive. On the good side, that should correspond to a significant decrease in teenage deaths from drunk driving, because they won’t even be driving.
Why have teens dropped driving?
According to a 2013 survey by the University of Michigan Transportation Institute, the No. 1 reason unlicensed 18- and 19-year-olds don’t have a license is “too busy or not enough time” (40%), followed by “owning and maintaining a vehicle is too expensive” (17%). The No. 3 reason is also notable: 15% say they are “able to get transportation from others.” What exactly are kids “too busy” with to get a license? It’s unlikely they are going to school or studying more, which suggests driving has just become a much lower priority because getting around doesn’t require a license anymore. First, mothers and fathers have become drivers. Today’s helicopter parents are only too willing to provide chauffeur service for kids who never leave the house alone until they are well into their teens. Second, smartphones mean other parents are more available for easy ride coordination, and of course the growth of services like Uber and Lyft lets kids call a car and charge it to their folks.
According to a 2013 survey by the University of Michigan Transportation Institute, the No. 1 reason unlicensed 18- and 19-year-olds don’t have a license is “too busy or not enough time” (40%), followed by “owning and maintaining a vehicle is too expensive” (17%). The No. 3 reason is also notable: 15% say they are “able to get transportation from others.” What exactly are kids “too busy” with to get a license? It’s unlikely they are going to school or studying more, which suggests driving has just become a much lower priority because getting around doesn’t require a license anymore. First, mothers and fathers have become drivers. Today’s helicopter parents are only too willing to provide chauffeur service for kids who never leave the house alone until they are well into their teens. Second, smartphones mean other parents are more available for easy ride coordination, and of course the growth of services like Uber and Lyft lets kids call a car and charge it to their folks.
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