Fewer Gen Z Teens Interested In Getting In The Driver’s Seat. Here’s Why

Gen Z teenagers in the US are driving less than previous generations, according to a new study based on the data of last four years. Citing the study by MarketWatch Guides, New York Post said that drivers under the age of 19 make up approximately 3.6 per cent of licensed drivers in the US. Taking all drivers under the age of 25 into account brings the combined percentage to 11 per cent of the driving force, as per the study. 

The Post report further said that drivers in the age group of 30-34, are more likely to be behind the wheel. The study is based on data from US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Association’s data on highway statistics.

David Straughan, a researcher at MarketWatch Guides called it a “seismic shift” while speaking to Fox News.

“When you think about how deeply tied automobiles and driving are to American identity and to American culture, I think that it is actually a pretty seismic thing and suggests that there are some very major changes happening culturally,” he said.

One of the reasons attributed to the decline in teenagers applying for driving license is the ever-increasing access to rideshare apps and public transit. Other experts adds that this generation worries more about the damage driving is causing to the environment.

“This generation is very kind of eco. That’s, you know, worried about the impacts of fossil fuels. People are aware of the damage that driving is doing to the environment (…) so there’s an urge to get away from that,” Daniel Knowles, who wrote the book ‘Carmageddon‘ that discusses the negative impacts of automobiles, told NBC News.

Apart from these, stress and anxiety also play a role.

“Driving has gotten a lot more stressful in, you know, the past decade or more. It’s gotten particularly worse in the last few years since the pandemic, it seems like an awful lot of people are just driving a lot worse. We see this in the rise in the number of deaths and rise in the number of car crashes,” said Mr Knowles.

Gen Z-ers are also concerned about finances, as they accumulate more student loan debt than earlier generations.

“Driving a car, owning a car, keeping a car, maintaining a car. All aspects of having a car are very expensive. If you cut out that expense, it can literally be life-changing,” Mr Straughan told the Post.

Social media access and texting have also eliminated some of the need to meet up with friends to socialise as teens and young adults might have in the past.