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Why Doesn’t Gen Z Want to Drive Anymore?

Why Doesn’t Gen Z Want to Drive Anymore?

Apparently, Gen Z would rather call an Uber than learn how to drive.

That’s according to The Washington Post, who reported on a growing trend that shows Zoomers — those born between 1996 and 2012 — are waiting until their 20s to get their license. In the meantime, they’re turning to public transportation, ride-sharing apps and e-bikes to get around town.

This trend has been growing for a while. Back in 1997, 43 percent of 16-year-olds and 62 percent of 17-year-olds had driver’s licenses. By 2020, those numbers had fallen to 25 percent and 45 percent, respectively. And it’s not just young Gen Z teens contributing to the trend — older members of Gen Z are less likely to have licenses than their millennial counterparts. In 1997, almost 90 percent of 20- to 25-year-olds had licenses, but by 2020, it was only 80 percent.

So why is Gen Z less interested in driving than previous generations? There are a number of factors at play. For one, they are more likely to be concerned about the environment and the impact their actions have on the world around them. They are also more likely to turn to ride-sharing apps, e-scooters and e-bikes than to get behind the wheel of a car themselves.

Some Zoomers are hesitant to get behind the wheel because they’re afraid of getting into accidents or of driving itself. Many of them have grown up hearing stories about friends or classmates who were killed in car accidents, and this has made them more cautious. Others point to the high cost of driving, including the price of car insurance, which has risen by nearly 14 percent in recent years.

And then there’s the fact that Gen Z is just as likely to do things online as they are to do them in person. They can hang out with friends, take classes and play games without ever leaving their homes. This means that they don’t feel the same pressure to get out and explore the world that previous generations did.

But will this trend last? That’s the big question. Some experts believe that as Gen Z gets older and start families of their own, they will become more interested in driving. Getting married, having children and moving out of urban centers are all changes that tend to encourage (a.k.a. force) people to drive more.

However, it’s worth noting that millennials went through a similar phase a decade ago. At the time, many people believed that millennials were “killing the car industry” and would never embrace them the way previous generations had. But as it turns out, millennials do drive — it’s just eight percent less every day than members of Generation X and baby boomers.

© 2023 RELEVANT Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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