ARTICLE SUMMARY:Remember when getting a drivers license was something you looked forward to, a rite of passage and laminated key to freedom? Apparently not so much for todays youth. The social status of driving is waning, with about 15% of 18-39 year olds make it by without a license, opting to use public transit or bum rides rather than drive. AAA found that half of teens are waiting until 18 rather than the 15.5 or 16 of yesteryear. There are a few reasons; the cost of buying and maintaing a car is seen as too expensive for a generation hit by high tuition costs and low job prospects, as well as the rise of prominence of the smart phone in our daily lives, which makes us feel connected and part of the social going-ons without having to actually dive and be everywhere. This generation is far less likely to buy a house or a car, and more likely to prolong things like moving out, marriage, and kids, which make having a car more necessary. This trend obviously has huge impacts for automakers desperate to sell vehicles, transportation as a whole and the environment. And, if this steadily increasing base of non-drivers keeps growing along with the trend of a sharing economy that we're seeing and service like Zipcar emerging, maybe we'll see a very different automobile climate in the future.
SITE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/07/why-arent-young-people-getting-drivers-licenses-too-much-hassle/
