Why Are Teens Opting Out of Driving?

Fifteen-year-old Mia Castellanos is like a lot of teens these days. She has zero interest in getting her driver's license. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 25% of 16 year olds opted to get their license in 2021. Receiving your driver's license used to be a right of passage and a key step towards independence. However, being independent looks very different to this generation of teenagers, thanks in large part to everything you need being at your fingertips.

[emartinezpacheco]

My son refused to drive and get a license until he turned 18 because at 15 when he could begin driver’s ed, he said it was a huge responsibility and wasn’t ready. I am proud of him that he did not hurry to get his license and did so when he was ready. He has been driving 4 months now and I am glad to see he took driving seriously and realized it is a huge responsibility.

[magdalena_dewinter]

short answer: scary
long answer: the price of fuel, buying a car, paying for insurance is so much. no one wants to be sitting in traffic all day, so many of us can’t afford it.

[mudasirjan]

How come nobody is mentioning the ridiculous costs of insurance and gas in this age? Coverage for 15-20 year olds is expensive, it's much more affordable to just uber or have ur parent drive.

[twgok]

It's ridiculous that in America in order to get anywhere u have to drive or get a driver no matter if ur sick, tired or drunk. Most other countries u could reliably take public transport safely or walk to most places

[madamadadane]

The weight of potentially causing damage, hurting others and killing someone is huge and hard for teens. I understand why they would opt out and wait until later

[JazzyMarineVet]

My niece will be 16 shortly and has zero interest and driving even when I offered her a nice little starter car. That is unimaginable for me and my generation growing up in the 90s with wheels

[marcosacuna]

i am sick of people pretending that driving is the only way to get around. more public transit.

[mimilove]

No, it’s the $300+ you have to pay for required driver’s school in MD.

[breezystl]

I would much rather have a teen who is overly careful about driving, than one who is scared but decided to drive when they knew they weren't ready. And props to these kids for having the maturity to take car safety and theirs and others lives seriously, and admit if they aren't ready. ❤

[Sluggersparadise]

As an eighteen year old who was in a major wreck this year, I completely understand. The weight of responsibility is huge, and the consequences of a single mistake on the road can change lives for the worst.

[comradejux]

as a teenager, here’s my answer.



It’s because it’s terrifying dude, I don’t know how to do any of this 💀 one small accident could cause a tragic and damaging event to happen,

i’ll still learn how to drive because I need to in order to go places, but if I had the choice, I’d rather teleport

[aidanmccarthy]

Maybe they'll push more for walkable cities and better public transit.

[jenna_south]

I totally relate to this. I just turned 23 and got my license only 5 months ago. I had such bad anxiety about driving, and it always scared me, but I always knew deep down I had to face my fears and go for it. Now I can't imagine not being able to take myself to work or the store. I'm so glad I did it!

[kbarts]

I’m 24 and I feel ashamed about not having my license yet. I know it’s scary, but it’s an essential skill. What happens if there’s an emergency and you can’t get an Uber or call someone to pick you up?

[brianduarte]

I used to want my license at 16, until I turned 14. I saw how the HS kids used to drive to school down the street, always crashing in front of the school every week.

[java]

I feel like it also depends on where you live. I grew up in NYC and had no reason to get my license or get a car. I walked, biked and took public transit everywhere. It wasn’t until I moved away from home to an area that didn’t have as good transit that I decided to buy a car (at 21🤷🏾‍♀️).

[SuchFinessse]

I’m 24- I got my permit at 15, my license by 16, and I’ve gotta say, I could not imagine waiting any longer. I’m so shocked at the number of kids scared of driving, because when I was growing up, all my peers wanted to get their license and drive to school and have their own cars. Sure, it’s a big responsibility, but all of us understood the importance of learning to drive. Some places, you don’t have to drive.

[suhly]

If teens could walk to the places they wanted to go, you wouldn't need to drive. Sadly, there is no other way to get anywhere in the suburbs. 💯

[mona]

Heya! 18 year old here, driving has never been an interest for me:

1.) Buying a car or putting down a down payment has been absolutely expensive, so much more than before and as someone who has no financial dependence on parents it’s been difficult

2) gas prices 😬😬😬 should I say more?

3) I don’t trust my peers considering how many actually drink and drive, it’s not about my own skills, it’s about others (and personally I’d rather wait till I was 18 because then I’ll be moving away and hey then I’ll have ignorance and bliss)

4) I personally enjoy walking and it’s a healthy habit for me, I can walk to and from work in 15 minutes and to school in 20 so I never felt the need to drive a car

5) there’s plenty of others ways to have independence other than driving

BUT: I am glad to be able to afford buying a car soon and I’m looking forward to driving (although nervous) I just think that it’s a large pressure put on teenagers nowadays and honestly some people aren’t ready and I’d prefer it if we drove when we were prepared rather than forced to for convenience

[taiguy]

I'm 20, and I don't have my license. I'm mostly afraid to go on the road in fear of crashing or making a mistake. My parents have been trying to encourage me to get on the wheel, but they want me to practice using their cars, and that just adds to the pressure because I don't want to potentially damage their vehicles. I do want the freedom to be able to go anywhere I want and whenever, but that fear is a hindrance.

Edit: I'm 21 now and got my adult license. I still don't have my own car as of now, so I do still carry the fear of crashing or making mistakes. For those who struggle to get themselves behind the wheel, it helps tremendously to have someone especially calm and patient with you. Have them take you to a parking lot; the more empty, the better. That way, you can practice and get a feel of the car while going only as slow as 5-10 mph, and you don't have the pressure of slowing traffic on regular roads. Just take your time from there, get a feel of how soft/hard you have to press the gas to accelerate and brake. Get a feel of the steering wheel and how the car turns and how wide. You can even practice parking. Once you're comfortable and confident enough, you can promote yourself to driving around residential areas, and eventually highways. Most importantly, just be patient with yourself and applaud yourself for having the courage to get behind the wheel in the first place.