Driving Is Becoming Less Important To Young People

The portion of U.S. teenagers licensed to drive has declined from 52% in 1992 to 42% in 2002. Driving is becoming less important to young people.

Getting a driver's license at 16 has long been a rite of passage. The learner's permit at 15, the hair-raising driving practice with the shrieking parent, the dreaded clipboard guy at the DMV administering the road test, the first sobering crash involving a classmate — for better and worse, the rush for the license is so culturally enshrined that its particulars verge on cliche.But quietly, while the adults weren't looking, kids have stopped driving at 16 the way they used to. In a shift that has overtaken the culture virtually without notice, a confluence of forces has redefined the concept of 'driving age.'"

Thanks to Todd Litman