Teens Don’t Want to Drive Anymore
- Selina Barker
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
Before everyone had a cell phone with internet access, getting a driver’s license was a big deal. Driving gave young people the freedom to go where they wanted when they wanted. Today, teens seem less and less excited to get behind the wheel. In 1995, 43% of American 16-year-olds had a driver’s license. In 2023 that number dropped to 25.2%. So why don’t teens today care about driving as much as their parents did?
Digital Communities
There are a number of reasons that teens are putting off driving, and their parents are noticing. One mom writes, “my teen doesn't have the same need or desire to get his license that I had at his age.” She blames ride sharing and social apps that are keeping kids connected in ways that weren’t available in her teen years.
Teens no longer need to occupy the same physical space to chat, watch movies, go shopping, or play games together. They are staying connected online through apps like Discord, Instagram, TikTok, Roblox, WeChat, WhatsApp, and FaceTime. They can play videogames together in different time zones and make friends they’ve never seen in countries they’ve never been to.
“Long gone are the days of hanging out with friends at the mall. Now, teens can just turn to texting or chatting on Discord to keep in touch.”
Transportation Overload
Before the internet, if a group of teenagers wanted to get around, everyone piled into the back of one friend’s car – whoever could borrow one from their parents or older sibling, or whatever beater the money from an after-school job could buy. Now when a group of teenagers wants to get around, everyone piles into the back of an Uber or Lyft.
Rideshare apps have made cars available at the touch of a button to anyone with a cell phone – no license needed! They’re convenient, often just a few minutes away, and provide the cost upfront before you book. And they don’t come with hefty insurance premiums, maintenance fees, or parking costs.
Driving Anxiety
Not all teens are disinterested in driver’s licenses, but some are afraid of what might come next. After the licensing process comes the real-life, real-time dangers of the road. Many young people are cautious and insecure while driving, fearing conflict, collisions, and deadly mistakes.
“Worries about distracted drivers and road rage have also kept my son from getting behind the wheel.”
Today’s teens are more informed than ever, and many realize that freedom comes with risk – the risk of life, limb, and hefty payouts. They’re too educated and internet savvy to be naïve to the dangerous drivers that await them on the road, and for many that possibility just isn’t worth it.
The Cost
Even with a driver’s license, many teens won’t be able to drive. If they can’t borrow a car or get financial help to buy one, the steep cost of vehicle ownership will price most teens right off the road.
Category | Average Cost Per Year |
Insurance | $8,765 |
Maintenance | $792 |
License/Registration/Taxes | $687 |
Gas | $2,449 |
Total = | $12,693 |
With a job that pays the federal minimum wage of $7.25, an American teenager would need to work for over 1,750 hours to afford one year of car use. That’s about…
10 months working full time
2 years working part time after school every day
5 entire summer vacations working full time, which is more years than a teen is in high school for!
That doesn’t even include the upfront cost of buying a car. For many teenagers, owning a vehicle is simply unattainable. Instead, they rely on rides from family and friends, rideshare services, biking, or public transit to get around. Some may even not feel the need to get a car later if other methods of transport have served them well throughout their youth.
There’s no single reason for young people’s hostility towards driving. What is promising is that cautious teens seem to understand that driving is a privilege, not a right, and the ability to drive and take the safety of others in your hands is a responsibility that must be earned.
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