Getting behind the wheel is something Liam McGlohon is in no rush to do. The 19-year-old from Ann Arbor, Michigan, says he doesn’t intend to apply for a driver’s license for “at least the next 30 years.”
“I definitely thought about it for a while,” he says, “but I came to the conclusion—because I know myself, and I know driving would be a huge source of stress in my life—that I kind of just don’t want to have to deal with it at this point.”
McGlohon’s feelings about driving are emblematic of a lot of teenagers’ these days. Only 25 percent of 16-year-olds have driver’s licenses today, compared with 43 percent in 1997, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration. Over the same period, the percentage of 17-year-olds with licenses has also fallen by nearly 20 points, and the percentage of licensed 18-year-olds has dropped by 14 points (see graph, below).
In a nation that has long romanticized the automobile as a sleek symbol of American prosperity and freedom, obtaining a driver’s license has typically been seen as a rite of passage, as well as a cherished ticket to independence.
So what’s causing the drop in young drivers—and will it last?
Getting behind the wheel is something Liam McGlohon is in no rush to do. The 19-year-old from Ann Arbor, Michigan, says he doesn’t intend to apply for a driver’s license for “at least the next 30 years.”
“I definitely thought about it for a while,” he says, “but I came to the conclusion—because I know myself, and I know driving would be a huge source of stress in my life—that I kind of just don’t want to have to deal with it at this point.”
McGlohon’s feelings about driving are emblematic of a lot of teenagers’ these days. Only 25 percent of 16-year-olds have driver’s licenses today. This is compared to 43 percent in 1997, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration. Over the same period, the percentage of 17-year-olds with licenses has also fallen by nearly 20 points. The percentage of licensed 18-year-olds has also dropped by 14 points (see graph, below).
The automobile has long been seen as a sleek symbol of American prosperity and freedom. Obtaining a driver’s license has typically been seen as a rite of passage. It was also a cherished ticket to independence.
So what’s causing the drop in young drivers? Will it last?