News, Why are US teenagers driving less?

[Chango]

Another thing is the parents themselves. "Helicopter Parents" have succeeded in raising a whole generation of sheltered, dependent adult-children who seem to have no need or desire to be free and independent.

Cars were always about feeling freedom (real or imagined freedom is another argument) more than anything; if you don't have the need to satisfy cravings to roam and express your freedom by your choice of wheels... well, you know the rest.

A bird that ain't gonna leave the nest doesn't need wings.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by Bydand

I also think that the restrictions may have some impact. I know my oldest son was looking into the restrictions here in MI because he is getting to the age where he is thinking of Drivers Ed. His big question: Can I tow a boat to a lake for fishing if I get my license at 16, or take it down to the Amusement park? Answer was yes, so he is excited again. When I mentioned he couldn't have all of his friends with him, he answered that it was a good thing because... "Most of my friends I don't think are responsible enough to take in a boat, and too crazy at the park."

If he couldn't tow one of the boats to a lake for some fishing, or take for an hours drive to the amusement park; I don't think he would care one way or the other about a license.

Good for your kid!!! I was a very responsible driver at 16... EXCEPT when my friends piled in and were giving me pressure to be reckless.

Also, I was the only one of my friends who had a car, or was able to borrow my mom's more expensive car. I was the only one of the group that really understood that responsibility. It wasn't other drivers that would give me that pressure to be reckless -- it was kids who were not responsible enough to take the leap.

If your son starts hanging out with those who are responsible enough to have and take care of their cars, then maybe he'll be off to some better friendships.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by drjones96

It's a generational thing in combination with economics and legalities.

Generational:
It used to be that driving made you cool. Now I'm not so sure that's the case anymore. Our daughter wants to drive but it's more of just a disire to get from point A to B without us having to do it for her. I don't think she cares a thing about cruising the strip or hanging out at a local hot spot....I don't even think there IS a local hot spot. I never see teenagers uh...loitering...like we used to. It's weird. I don't even know what driving-aged kids do with themselves these days....It's sure not what I used to do...or my parents...

I guess they just go to each others houses and play with their electronic gadgets.

Loitering and causing trouble was one of the best parts of being a teen and of being a college kid. I don't see it any more either. It's very weird.

Originally Posted by drjones96

Economics:
For folks who have buckets of cash I'm sure it's great. But for the rest of us...it sucks out there. I have to buy a car in a year or so. A car that gets great gas mileage, isn't really expensive, has a low insurance rate, is easy to drive, and doesn't go really fast......basically a car that sucks.

SO if you're my daughter....how excited are you to get this car?

My first daily driver was a Camaro, my mom's was a 1960 Chevrolet 2dr HT, my Dad's was a 1957 Chevrolet 2dr HT Bel Air. Cool cars.....right? Gas hogs too. Insurance wasn't too bad...even for me in the mid-90's.

Even with the cheapest insurance I can get we're looking at almost tripling our rate adding her as a licensed driver and adding her little $h!tbox car. I know my parents didn't have to deal with that crap...but for the current generation, we are expected to just eat it and go on.

I'm with you... that car would basically suck. Yes there are Mustangs and Camaro's now, but not as many of them and they're just not the same. A lot of kids just choose trucks. I can't blame them, at least trucks have some power and some hauling ability and some personality.

Originally Posted by drjones96

Legalities:
17 years ago (gulp) when I got my license, cruising the strip was still a cool, fun thing to do. I got my license the day I turned 16 and I was on the strip that night (nobody else was though because it was a wednesday night LOL). There were no silly restrictions on who could ride with me, where I could go and how late I could be out (although my parents instituted a curfew, there were no laws concerning it).

I live in Kansas now.

Here kids can get a permit at 14 (Licensed adult in front seat at all times - minimum age 21)

Restricted license at 15 (To or from work, To or from school, or Anytime/anywhere with licensed adult. And May not transport any non-sibling minor passengers.)

Less Restricted license at 16 (Anywhere from 5am to 9pm, Anytime going to or from work, Anytime going to or from authorized school activities, and Anytime/anywhere with licensed adult. Also No more than one non-sibling passenger under the age of 18.)

And finally Unrestricted license at 17.

What that means is that there's no "OMG I'm Free!!!" sort of moment. I went from not having a license at 15yrs 364days to having one without restrictions the next day. I think I got pulled over in the first few weeks! LOL

By the time our daughter actually gets a license without restrictions she will have been driving for 3 years....so it's more of a "whoop-dee-doo...i got my license ".

Half the fun for me when I got my license was sharing the joy of driving with my friends. She can't do that for the first 2 years of driving. And when she's 16 can only drive with one friend at a time. Kinda throws a kink in things going to the mall if you can only take one friend. Somebody may get left behind.

Sharing the joy of driving -- the joy of freedom -- with friends -- it was a real thrill.

Originally Posted by Chango

Another thing is the parents themselves. "Helicopter Parents" have succeeded in raising a whole generation of sheltered, dependent adult-children who seem to have no need or desire to be free and independent.

Cars were always about feeling freedom (real or imagined freedom is another argument) more than anything; if you don't have the need to satisfy cravings to roam and express your freedom by your choice of wheels... well, you know the rest.

A bird that ain't gonna leave the nest doesn't need wings.

Originally Posted by jtur88

Preteens, nowadays. have so many restrictions on their lives, they have not developed an adventurous spirit to want to go out and explore the world. They are not allowed to go out and play and develop their playground social relationships. Their parents, often, compel them to spend their spare time either in parent-supervised activities, or locked in their room with their computer composing poetry about suicide.

So, quite naturally, when they are of driving age, they have developed little desire to just run free with a car---it's not consistent with their lifestyle or mindset.

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

Yeah, when I was 16 in '73, there were a lot of cool older cars available, that you could buy and improve a bit as you drove them - repairs and mods. The cheap older cars of today are, I guess, mostly 1990's models, which are harder to work on, and less charismatic even if you get them running right.

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

It's not just the cost of gas. The cost of everything car related is higher than ever. Repairs, brake jobs, tires, insurance, and the average cost of semi-dependable used cars are all higher than 10-15 years ago. Cars are basically unaffordable to drive and maintain anymore (let alone purchase) for a teenager working part time at jobs typically available to them.

Originally Posted by motormaker

^^ Add to that the law has clamped down on crusing in many areas and frankly there are not the cool cruse areas that were available anymore.

Originally Posted by Chango

It's the cost for sure. When I was a teen, I could (and did) fill up my old jeep's gas tank for 10 bucks and have a whole day of fun across the entire state.

Today it costs 50 bucks to fill up the tank of my "economical" Camry.

Things have changed A LOT in 15 years. Life is turning ever inward to a virtual world instead of getting out and experiencing the real one.

Originally Posted by Merc63

Simply put, kids are not allowed to congregate, they have been sheltered, adn they spend more time "connecting" using the phone and internet than they do with cars.

Originally Posted by dkf747

In thinking about my own teenager's experience, I'm reminded that the workload (homework, extra-curricular activities, etc...) seem to be heavier than they were when I was in school. I want my teen to get a job before we even consider another car. she really wants to be involved in things. If she wants to be involved in something, it's really hard to balance that schedule along with a job, and the huge amounts of homework that she has. Something has to give. It seems like many other kids in our area have the same issues.

Originally Posted by Flyover_Country

5. Society has pushed the age of de facto adulthood from the mid-teens a century ago to the mid-20s today. Helicopter Mommy is still there to bus 18-year-old Johnny around today and nobody thinks much of it. When I was 18, that kid would have gotten laughed at by his peers. In my parents' day, that kid would have gotten beaten up by his peers. In my grandparents' day, that kid would have gotten beaten up by his parents.

And I agree with all of this too

Each and every one of these trends make me feel sad, and that something good was really lost in the last decade or two.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

We just bought a 1994 Thunderbird for my son and daughter for $500. It has 96,000 miles on it. We drove it back from Texas with no problems. It does need some basic repairs (struts, brakes, a blower switch) nothing major. (Could use a new windshield too, but that is not critical).

Great car. I had a 1994 Thunderbird, new, that I kept for 11 years. It went 230,000 miles, comfortable and reliable until the last few months. Got me all through college, grad school, summer road trips, and moves across country.

It did go through four transmissions though -- so PLEASE flush your trans fluid every 7,500 to 10,000 miles and if it doesn't already have a transmission oil cooler, consider getting one ($100-$200.) If you have to get it replaced, get a Jasper, which is much more reliable than the Ford.

Only reason it had to go was because I wasn't attentive enough to the front suspension, and it gave way due to rust.

They'll love that car though... strong A/C (never failed once), always started even in the coldest weather, heat will get the interior warm within the first minute if you have the V8, decent gas mileage (20-25mpg), front airbags, good in the city and the highway.

Good tires are a must, and if you're driving in rain/snow/ice, about 10 bags of sand in the trunk is really recommended.

Merc63: Nice BMW.

I think its possible to find great used cars for cheap, but you have to be patient, and intelligent (you have to know what to buy and what to look for.) Most people don't have those traits, unfortunately. You also have to have a car (or a reliable friend who can drive you) in order to get where you need to check out a car. You have to be careful about what you buy since so many cars built during the last decade have had so many major problems (check CarCompliants, Consumer Reports, and MSN Auto owner reviews.) And getting to the cars for sale can get expensive (for instance the car you want might be in the northern suburbs when you live in the southern suburbs - $10 or $20 of gas just for the ride.)

[LondonAreaWeatherSummary]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

That's pretty extreme. Even when I was starting out I paid about $1000 a year. Maybe things are different in the UK. Also public transport is better there.

Only if you live in a city. Elsewhere it's expensive, unreliable and overcrowded during rush hour and empty during the rest of the day and services to smaller villages are scarce.