The Los Angeles Times had an interesting report the other day on an interesting trend: folks just aren't getting driver's licenses as much as they used to.
Thirty years ago, nearly half of 16-year-olds had a driver's license, their passport to independence. By 2010 that figure had dropped to 28%, according to research from the University of Michigan.
The cultural shift is largely the result of technology that keeps teens connected to one another and the coolest new stuff without ever getting into a car. All the adolescent staples -- music, movies, clothes, books -- are available with a mouse click or smartphone swipe.
And if this were simply a matter of youth trends, it'd be easier to explain away. If 16- and 17-year-olds are too busy with SAT prep and extra-curricular activities to worry about driving, it's easy to imagine a traditional process that's being delayed -- those same young people may end up driving after they graduate high school and either enter the workforce, go to college, or both. Note the chart: there's a big jump from 17 to 18, just as there was nearly three decades ago.
But that's what makes the larger trend that much more interesting. As Kevin Drum noted over the weekend, "Even among 30-year-olds, the number of people with driver's licenses is down from 96 percent to 89 percent. That's a surprisingly large drop. I suppose part of this could be explained by the increasing population of large metro areas with decent transit, but I'm not sure that fits the facts. The population of rural areas has shrunk over the past few decades, but I think most of the corresponding population growth has been in small cities and suburbs, which are tough to get around in without a car."
I'm sure there are scholars who can explain the cultural, sociological, and economic shifts in detail, but this also made me wonder about voter-ID laws. Whenever I've listened to some of the legislative debates over these proposals, Republicans reflexively point to non-existent "voter fraud," but they also have a response to Democratic arguments against placing new burdens on the public: "What the big deal? Everyone already has a driver's license, so there's no harm in making people show it when picking up a ballot."
But it appears "everyone" doesn't already have a driver's license. It's increasingly true of student-age voters; it applies to more than 1-in-10 Americans in their 30s; and the Times' chart doesn't even mention elderly voters who don't renew their licenses because they no longer drive.
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(folks just aren't getting driver's licenses as much as they used to.) - Well of course-Not - the gop/tp has jeopardized the average working person by extinguishing their/our Jobs and Income and affordability of paying for average things in order to advance Their agenda to over-throwing the AMERICAN-System by Strangling the working peoples income to death for Their Own Benefit and Profit - this is only a portion of what their True-Goals are ! Crazy - NAZI - Anti-AMERICAN IDIOTS - Heheheheheeeeeee ................. Think About-It !
The gop/tp's Objective IS to funnel the working people Down Financially to a level that WE cannot afford the most essential priorities for ONLY One reason and that IS to be in TOTAL CONTROL of ALL Americans for their own personal and Tribal-Allegiance Greed of wanting to take Total-Control of AMERICA ! You had Better Believe-It ! They have been working on-it for MANY DECADES ! NAZI'S ! Anti-AMERICAN Greedy Thugs is exactly what they are !
Keep Your Eye's/Ears and Minds---OPEN - ! Heheheheheheeeeeeeee ....................
I suspect that demographics also explains this. Over the last 20 years, more and more Americans are moving out of the suburbs and into the cities, and population in rural areas have dropped as well. In the city, you often have access to public transportation, and thus, you don't need a driver's license.
It's not surprising for a whole raft of reasons.
For one thing, driving a car has become incredibly expensive. Buying a car is costly, running a car is costly, insuring a car is prohibitive for many, and parking it for even a half-hour in nearly any major city requires a home equity loan to afford. I haven't had a car for more than 20 years and what I spend on public transit and taxi's annually is a fraction of what it'd cost to have a decent, working car for even just a few months. I'm part of the percentage drop in licensed driver; since I don't have a car, I simply forgot to renew my license 12 or 15 years ago.
For another, why bother getting a license if you don't have a job that you need to drive to?
Finally, an awful lot of people - including teens - may finally have figured out that having a car isn't part of the American "dream." It can be as much of a nuisance as a gateway to teenage freedom - or any sort of open road freedom, for that matter.
I'm mother to a 17-year-old who has not yet gone for his learner's permit, let alone his license. He has shown no interest in it, and I am in no hurry for him to get it because of the expense involved. I'm not looking forward to my insurance rate skyrocketing, nor am I particularly interested in the idea of getting him his own car. Further, I don't want the hassles of constantly worrying about him while he's out. My schedule allows me to drive him around as needed, and we are both perfectly happy with it. So perhaps cheap, worried parents like me are part of the reason as well.
(He will have to get a non-driver ID pretty soon, though. He turns 18 over the summer and will need some sort of state-issued ID to be able to vote here in PA.)
I know a number of people who choose not to drive for environmental reasons as well. Of course, this is a choice that one can only make in an urban area with some kind of mass transit system. But having to drive everywhere is one reason I don't plan to move from the city. I love being able to walk to much of what I need, and hop a train or a bus for much of the rest.
The drop may correspond to increases in immigration. Unless you can read English at a high school level or above, it's almost impossible to understand most states' driver's manuals and permit test questions. Some state translate these materials into one or two languages, but most don't.
More BS pseudo-research, no 50% of 16 year olds did not have their license back then.
Show your documentation that this isn't true, instead of complaining about it. Put up or shut up.
I have an almost 16 year old son who is one of those kids who is in no hurry to learn how to drive. We live in the country - 8 miles from town and school - so getting around involves parents and friends. One of the reasons he is not interested is that he does not trust other drivers - we have dozens of accidents around here weekly and thinks he is not mature enough (nor pays attention enough) to be a driver. I'm in no hurry to rush him. If and when he is interested, I'll support him.
I have an 18 year old that doesn't really WANT a driver's license. She get's around fine. She is nervous of other drivers on the road, the cost is prohibitive and she gets a bus pass as part of her college tuition. Why on earth would she want to pay for insurance, gas or the cost of a car?
Hard to cover insurance without a job but that assumes you can buy a car to begin with
Two of my three didn't have a driver's license until they graduated from University.
Of course, I bribed them: no license until graduation, and I buy you a brand new (basic transportation) car as graduation present. They got a lesson in delayed gratification and a new car -- I saved myself a fortune in insurance and many, many hours of worry.
Kids don't own cars, cars own kids.
Of course not! The cost of owning a auto is expensive even a old junker worth $50 bucks 15 years ago will now selsl for 500 insurance is rip off as we must pay for 1 in a 1000 cars that the rich drive in case we get in a fender bender. Driving is privilege and getting to be for the privileged wealthy only. So as you watch insurance rates rise its to keep those corporate profits up. As we hear more and more on TV about drunken driving and how we MUST make it more of a crime with stiffer penalties and with that higher insurance premiums. The march is on to remove our rights a little bit at a time and you will find if there's a way to get a buck out it, its gonna happen. Soon alcohol will be made illegal. First cigarettes but not until they cost $20.00 a pack and some get killed for them.
When I joined the Army after my HS graduation in 1994, I was surprised that a lot of my mates from big cities didn't have their licenses. The bigger the city, the less likely they were to see the need for them. I can understand that, as who wants to pay big money for a car when you can spend a lot less and have a lot less hassle just to get from place to place?
This is a BIG Voter Suppression opportunity for the right.
And that's one of the big reasons behind the voter ID laws that are in vogue among the supressionists. If you can close down a bloc that largely votes on progressive issues, you do it.
What????
No mention of the fact that a license isn't needed these days. With cars that can park themselves and do other various things that a driver should do...
unfortunately, even if you have a car that will literally drive/park itself with no imput from anyone inside the car, you are still required by law to have a license to 'operate' the car. it makes no sense, but i have a feeling that this will change as more and more cars become autonomic. also, hopefully, accident rates and insurance premiums will decrease as well with the autodrive technology.
It absolutely makes sense that young people aren't driving. Under-25s have the highest unemployment rate of any demographic. There's also the fact that a number of states have passed laws that restrict teenage driving through graduated licenses, mandatory driving classes and extended learner's permit periods.
It will be more interesting to see if young people still forgo driving as economic circumstances pick up and they reach the age where they have full driving privileges. I'd like to see if it's more a matter of changing lifestyle or economic necessity.
Many drivers in Texas no longer have a valid driver's license because of the Texas Driver Responsibility Program and its many multiplying surcharges. I was a licensed driver for ten years before mine was suspended - I didn't get a DWI or accrue too many "points." I'm not a bad or reckless driver. I've driven all across the country, I've had no accidents and my few speeding tickets date back to those wild teen years. As an adult, I am an exceedingly safe and conscientious driver. However, my insurance lapsed a few years back and I got a ticket. I paid it. And then the surcharges started piling on. By my count, I had paid over $1500 in surcharges (not including the original tickets!) before I admitted defeat.
http://www.texaspolicy.com/center/effective-justice/blog/time-texas-legislature-end-double-jeopardy-texas-drivers
An estimated 2.1 million Texans are driving uninsured and on suspended licenses due to the program. Texas isn't exactly known for its public transportation - even in a not-so-rural area, a personal vehicle can make all the difference in job availability. So, if you're broke like me and hit by the DRP, you can either stop driving or drive illegally. I chose to stop driving, and life has been a hell of a lot harder since then.
That's my lame reason for not having a DL. I suppose if other states are this ridiculous too, that might contribute to the trend. On the larger scale, I'd prefer to think that we're just functioning more efficiently, and have less of a need for personal automobiles.