Parents, you’re more likely not to have to sweat your teens wanting to drive
Bottom Line: One of the biggest fears of many parents for many years has been the sweet 16th birthday. The one that historically has come with the question about getting a driver’s license and perhaps even a car. For decades it’s been a regular part of the teenage condition. In the 1980’s more than 40% of 16-year old's, had drivers' licenses. Fast-forward to today and that number has been more than cut in half.
According to JD Power just 20% of 16 year-old'shave licenses. The most common age for a driver’s license is now 18 and even then, just 61% of 18 year old’s have them (that number was over 80% back in the 80’s).
According to their study the three biggest factors in the dramatic decline in teen drivers is...
- #1 driver’s education (schools commonly no longer offer programs)
- #2 cost (the combination of vehicle and insurance costs are higher relatively compared to prior generations)
- #3 more teens migrating to urban epicenters for education and work where owning a car isn’t effectual
Whatever the case may be, it’s generally good news for increased safety on the roads for all of us and fewer headaches and expense for parents.