Our youngsters are less likely to drive than they once were.
They speculate that virtual media reduces the need for actual contact among young people. I can see were the video game crowd would be as likely to meet up in an imaginary online world, as at the McDonalds. But one suspects that cost, and lack of work opportunities are also a factor. If you add in the factor of nanny-state laws that make it more difficult for teenagers to get their license, you likely have a combination of factors.
Fewer young, but more elderly, have driver’s license
Bernie DeGroat, University of Michigan News Service, 5 December 2011 (Hat tip: NC)
Bernie DeGroat, University of Michigan News Service, 5 December 2011 (Hat tip: NC)
About 87 percent of 19-year-olds in 1983 had their licenses, but 25 years later, that percentage had dropped to about 75 percent. Other teen driving groups also have declined: 18-year-olds fell from 80 percent in 1983 to 65 percent in 2008, 17-year-olds decreased from 69 percent to 50 percent, and 16-year-olds slipped from 46 percent to 31 percent.
4 comments:
Wow this is surprising. My boys all had their licenses -provisional at age 15.
Jennifer
Norht Carolina used to let you get a provisional at 15 and a full license at 16. As we have become more urban-suburban, the nanny state has kicked in and there are a lot more restrictions.
Well to-do suburban kids like to get into Mommy's Suburban, get drunk and drive it a 120 miles an hour. After they run it into a tree, there is a lot of hand wringing, and everyone says what adorable children they were.
I remember growing up around those types of children. Had their distracted parents completely snowed and were generally quite sure that they were rulers of the world.
But enough ranting! LOL
LOL...
sad how things are though, isn't it?
Yes, mine is eight. We have a little ways to go.
But my wife and I are not distracted parents either.
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