With so many alternative modes of transportation at their disposal nowadays, it’s not a surprise at all that the number of Americans who are interested in driving is decreasing. This is especially true for younger Americans, who have embraced the idea of sharing economy and are taking advantage of the new transportation options that it enables.
This declining interest in driving has reflected in reduced car sales among the younger generation, as well as fewer driver’s licenses, which has been once again confirmed in a new study that was recently released.
Huge Drop in Number of Driver’s Licenses
The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has conducted a study to examine how the percentage of licensed drivers among different age groups has changed over the past couple of decades.
In a report titled “Recent Decreases in the Proportion of Persons with a Driver’s License across All Age Groups”, researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle have published their findings, after analyzing data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
They show that all age groups, and not just the younger generation, are seeing a drop in number of licensed drivers.
Researchers compared the number of drivers licenses in 1983, 2008, 2011 and 2014, and found that the percentage of persons between the ages of 16 and 44 who don’t hold a driver’s license has increased significantly.
According to the study, teens have seen the most dramatic drop in licensed drivers, with a 47% decrease between 1983 and 2014 among 16-year-olds. The number of drivers among people ages 20 to 24 has also seen a huge fall, with a 16-percent drop over the same period.
As far as those aged between 45 and 69, the number of drivers had been increasing from 1983 through 2008, before starting to decline continuously all the way through 2014. The study also examines the situation among those aged 70 and over, concluding that this age group has recorded a slight drop of just 2% between 2011 and 2014, after having increased drastically over the course of the previous three decades.
Decline Among Older Generations Surprising
While the drop in the percentage of licensed drivers among teenagers and young adults is expected and somewhat understandable, it’s the fact that the elderly and the middle-aged are also less interested in driving.
Although there is no explanation in the study as to what might have caused the percentage of licensed drivers among those aged 40 and over to drop, it’s safe to say that the rise of ride-sharing services is a major contributor to this trend.