Generation Z is no longer valuing driving licenses as much as previous generations, with just one in 25 licensed drivers in the United States being 19 years or younger. This decline is attributed to the increasing accessibility of technology, such as ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber, and the age gap in driving. The percentage of 16-year-olds holding driver's licenses fell from half to a quarter between 1983 and 2022, while the percentage of 18-year-olds fell from 80% to 60%.
Younger members of Generation Z are either postponing the process or declining to get a license, with the percentage dropping by over 27% since 2000. In 2022, 12.4% of all licensed drivers were under 24. The lowest age group of drivers is those 80 years or older.
Millennials and Generation X make up 25.9% and 28.2% of licensed drivers, respectively. Approximately 40% of the 21.4 million 15 to 19-year-olds in 2022 had a license, compared to 48% in 2000. There was a decrease in the number of young drivers seeking and receiving their licenses in 19 states between 2012 and 2022, with New York having the biggest reduction. Indiana saw the most rise in the number of young individuals obtaining licenses, with about 20,000 teenagers obtaining their licenses in 2012 and over 195,000 in 2022.
Driving anxiety is another factor contributing to young people's lack of motivation to get a license. Aggressive driving and road rage incidents have been on the rise, and when adolescent mental health issues combine with increased animosity on the road, this rite of passage may become anxiety-inducing rather than exhilarating.
Younger members of Generation Z are either postponing the process or declining to get a license, with the percentage dropping by over 27% since 2000. In 2022, 12.4% of all licensed drivers were under 24. The lowest age group of drivers is those 80 years or older.
Millennials and Generation X make up 25.9% and 28.2% of licensed drivers, respectively. Approximately 40% of the 21.4 million 15 to 19-year-olds in 2022 had a license, compared to 48% in 2000. There was a decrease in the number of young drivers seeking and receiving their licenses in 19 states between 2012 and 2022, with New York having the biggest reduction. Indiana saw the most rise in the number of young individuals obtaining licenses, with about 20,000 teenagers obtaining their licenses in 2012 and over 195,000 in 2022.
Driving anxiety is another factor contributing to young people's lack of motivation to get a license. Aggressive driving and road rage incidents have been on the rise, and when adolescent mental health issues combine with increased animosity on the road, this rite of passage may become anxiety-inducing rather than exhilarating.
