Some teens just don't want to face the risks of driving. Programs that allow teens to tour accident sites with police officers put the fear of bodily harm and death into the forefront of their minds. In other cases, high insurance rates and private driving schools push the cost too high for many to afford. And in some states, it's simply not much fun to hold a license when driving is limited to daylight hours.
Instead of enjoying the freedom of driving themselves wherever they please, teens are also taking advantage of the freedom to text, chat on the phone and play video games afforded by being chauffeurred by their parents. Whatever the reasons, the Federal Highway Administration quotes the number of licensed 16-year-olds in the U.S. at 29.8 percent in 2006, compared to 43.8 percent in 1998, reports The New York Times.
Nobody is yet asking whether this is just an indicator of the death of the car culture in America, a nation that once idolized the automobile and prized the freedom it represented. Classics like Jack Kerouac's On the Road or any of Hunter S. Thompson's manic antics chronicled in his various works may be just that - classics, relics of an age now gone. But then again, it could be that today's generation hasn't lost its love for the automobile - it just prefers the passenger seat.
Reader Comments
Tue Feb 26 2008 5:37 PM
Gus says
Back in 1986 I couldn't wait to get my license. A tiny bit of training and a stupid test to show my parking skills and I was handed a full, unrestricted license. At that time I could have piled all my friends in and taken off all night long to anywhere.
In my opinion, teching kids to drive is one of the single most important thing we as parents can do. There is no greater risk than from accidents, so why not train accordingly? At 10 they should begin learning vehicle dynamics in electric karts. At 13 they should be studying vehicle physics, accident causes, etc. At 14 they should have seen what can happen when things go wrong. At 15 more intense driving lessons on wet surfaces WITHOUT electronic help, and track time in different types of vehicles. At 16 a license, but with restrictions and close monitoring with electronics.
This would be my plan in a perfect world, but we all know it will never happen.
I've been sriving the heck out of vehicles since I was 10, and gained a lot of experience on the Autobahn, and my mother was a trauma surgeon who showed me what happens. I guess that's why I haven't had a single accident (either bike or car) in my 20 years of drving...
Tue Feb 26 2008 7:08 PM
James says
Agree with Gus! And I also was dying to get my license as soon as possible. :)
Wed Feb 27 2008 1:08 PM
Ivan says
I am 99% sure it has nothing to do with culture. Every single guy I know (we're in early 20s, just graduated from college) wants to get car. Unfortunately insurance rates in big cities are crazy. Average insurance would be $5000/year. I can't afford that even with my "high-paying" job.
If I could get $20k car with $1000 insurance, I'd jump on it. But 20K car and $5k insurance are out of reach.
Wed Feb 27 2008 1:09 PM
SuperSkyline89 says
I'm 18 and getting my license when I turned 16 was the only thing I cared about. But it's kind of true that a lot of kids don't care all that much. I don't understand it, driving fast with your windows open on a sunny day is incredibly fun. Sitting in the passenger seat is so damn boring that I'd prefer not to even go along the trip at all. But the thing I've noticed is that the people that don't care about driving are either girls or "nerds"
Wed Feb 27 2008 5:03 PM
JP says
Yeah, I'm 18 years old (from Sweden, so I got my license about five months ago) and I have never before in my life felt so relieved as when I passed my driving test. It is really wonderful to have a driver's license, and once you've got it, it's hard to get rid of :)
I can't see the reason not to get a driver's license when you're able to (but that might be 'cause I'm a car nut), except for the economical part. It's really expensive here.
When applying for jobs, being able to drive often gives you an advantage.
On the other hand, not all young drivers are mature enough to handle a car, so I guess it's a good thing that more and more teens wait to get a license.
Wed Feb 27 2008 5:29 PM
SuperSkyline89 says
Actually it might not really make any difference. The teens that crash are the ones that love going fast, they would never wait to get their license. The ones that wait are the kind that follow the law to the letter and wouldn't be involved in a crash anyways.
Thu Feb 28 2008 2:32 PM
Alli says
I am 16 and my parents and friends are urging me to get my license, how ever I do not even have my permit yet. Although the freedom does seem very appealing, I don't think it's worth the risk. I am very frighten of the dangers of the road. When I feel like I am going to bust and do want to feel "of age" I will go out with a drive with one of my friends who do have their license. I am a huge fan of the passenger seat.
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