Teens Not Wanting Drivers License — Is this a made up trend

[Anonymous]

My daughter got hers recently on the first day she was eligible (in Maryland, 16.5). Some of her friends are getting their licenses a little later but I’m pretty sure that the ones who don’t have their licenses yet are working towards it.

My son has anxiety and we had to really push him to get his license. He has it but doesn’t have a car at his college so isn’t driving too much. I’m not sure he is part of a trend though. He needed a lot of encouragement for other firsts too like swimming and riding a bike.

[Anonymous]

My only datapoint is my my friend’s kids in the SF Bay Area (my own kid is too young).
Two of her son’s don’t drive. I suspect it’s their parents’ stinginess that holds them back - parents also make it seem like driving is such a hassle. So yes, the costs are a factor for some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chicken parents promote it because they don't want to put in the work

This is my observation as well
Or they don’t want to pay for the car and insurance
But I think that there’s also an increase in more accessible yet not urban areas (close suburbs with some access to public transit), and living there makes driving more of a hassle and not having a car less of one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chicken parents promote it because they don't want to put in the work

“Chicken?” Are you 7 years old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both my gen Z siblings were 18. They both just want to zone out on their phones in the passenger seat.

I think this is part of it. There’s less attraction to the physical world and more to the virtual one. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily bad but it’s a trend for sure. It’s less cool to be able to do things with their own hands, especially among highly intelligent kids it seems (who were always generally more clumsy - not saying everyone but many).

[Anonymous]

My nephews grew up in a rural part of Virginia (not up here) and turned 16 before covid and had no interest in getting their licenses. So it wasn’t about covid and wasn’t because there was public transportation available. They both got their licenses later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid gets their license late, other parents need to know. Passengers need to know. At 18 we assume your kid has had 2 years of safe driving experience.

Maybe you need to stop assuming
Many immigrants start driving late in life, too.
So it just doesn’t make sense to assume anything.
We are not in the 1970s anymore

[Anonymous]

To my disappointment as a car nut, none of my kids is interested in driving. They got their licenses just in case but they rarely drive. Same with their friends

[Anonymous]

No rush. Not sure why.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in NYC very few wife’s even had a license let alone kids. Dad had one but even he did not own a car.

My older daughter 22 lives in Boston now and Ubers. My middle daughter is moving to DC when graduates. After graduation no desire to drive or own a car.

First cars are now very expensive to buy, insurance sky high, parking and repairs expensive.

Add in Ubers and metro/buses cheap why have one.

My two kids and a few of friends kids I hate to say had accidents in the 18-21 stage. I hate to see insurance for a 22 year old with an accident let alone parking costs in DC, NYC or Boston.

Plus Ubers get split among friends and you can drink and not pay for parking

[Anonymous]

A lot of assumptions that parents have the extra $1500/year per kid for them to have a license. Insurance is expensive. Not even including buying an extra car. My kids also don’t want to pay that much money just to have a license. If insurance was cheaper, sure. But for now they’ll stick with their permits, and they won’t need a car at college. On campus, lots of buses/walkability. But if they had a license, they’d be stuck paying insurance whether they had a car or were driving or not. Just seems wasteful. Unless of course you have the money to burn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My age eligible kid doesn't want one. But she has a passport.

We aren't wealthy and we don't have a family car.

Do you take the bus everywhere?

[Anonymous]

Cars, gas and insurance are too expensive, and kids should be walking, biking & using public transportation instead.

[Anonymous]

Driving is bad for the environment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only datapoint is my my friend’s kids in the SF Bay Area (my own kid is too young).
Two of her son’s don’t drive. I suspect it’s their parents’ stinginess that holds them back - parents also make it seem like driving is such a hassle. So yes, the costs are a factor for some.

It IS a hassle.