Fewer teenagers are getting driver’s licenses. Here are the reasons why.
For generations, getting a driver’s license has been the ultimate symbol of teenage independence.
But things are changing. There’s a sharp decline in the number of teenagers, and even people in their 20s, getting licensed.
Their reasons vary, but clearly, 16 is no longer the magic age for taking the wheel.
Channel 9′s Scott Wickersham met with one teenager who’s currently in the process of getting his license.
“What do you think when you get behind the wheel?” Wickersham asked 16-year-old Caden Kennedy.
“I say, ‘Here we go,’” Kennedy said with a laugh.
He has his learner’s permit, but he’s in no rush to get his full license.
“What were your thoughts when you were 14, 15, about driving?” Wickersham asked.
“Extremely nervous,” Kennedy said. “My brother went through the whole driver permit, license situation, and he really struggled.”
Their mom agreed, telling Wickersham that both sons needed a little more maturity and desire to get their license.
“The kids are not mature, they’re not amped to meet each other at them all or a movie with my best friend and hang out, it’s just very different now,” said Djenaba Bradford-Kennedy.
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Then there are kids like Harper Youngerman, who was practicing driving at the age of 14.
“I want to drive so I can go to my friends’ houses, or jobs that I have in the future, and school,” Youngerman told Wickersham.
Youngerman’s mom is supportive, but concerned for her daughter’s safety.
“I think I’m most worried about other drivers, not her,” said Mary Jane Youngerman. “I thought she will do well, it’s just distracted drivers.”
Generational difference
The data shows that these days, more kids are like Caden, taking longer to get their driver’s licenses.
It’s a trend that’s been increasing. In 1995, about 64% of kids aged 16 to 19 got their license to drive; by 2021, that number had dropped to under 40%.
“[I’m seeing] a lot more older kids than I ever expected when I opened the school two and a half years ago,” said Felix Blakney with TLC Driving School
Blakney says money is a factor, too. The cost of lessons, teen driver insurance rates, and historically high prices for used cars.
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Another factor is the new online generation.
“I don’t know if they crave that face-to-face interaction anymore, like they need to go see each other to connect,” said Mary Jane Youngerman.
There are also more options for transportation than owning a car or taking a bus. In Charlotte’s South End, for instance, you can ride a train or electric scooter, call an Uber or Lyft, or just walk to many destinations.
Another factor, some say, is road rage.
“Lot of impatient drivers; not a day goes by when someone doesn’t blow their horn at a student driver,” said Bradford-Kennedy.
With our roads being less welcoming now, that’s why Caden’s mom is fine with her children taking their time, to a point.
“My oldest son literally was in the summer before he went to college because I said you will not leave before you get your driver’s license,” she said.
WHAT TO KNOW: Changes coming to North Carolina learner’s permit program
A great way to calm teens’ nerves is to take away the distractions. That includes discouraging eating and drinking, talking with passengers, adjusting infotainment systems, or looking at phones while driving.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has advice for talking to teens about getting behind the wheel at this link.
(WATCH: Curriculum teaches student drivers about police interactions)
