Fewer Gen Z teens interested in getting behind the wheel. here's why

Generation Z teens in the United States are driving less than previous generations, according to a new study based on data from the past four years. Citing the MarketWatch Guides study, New York Post said drivers under the age of 19 make up about 3.6 percent of licensed drivers in the United States. Taking into account all drivers under the age of 25 brings the combined percentage to 11 percent of the driving force, according to the study.

THE Job The report further states that drivers aged 30 to 34 are more likely to drive. The study is based on data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Association on highway statistics.

David Straughan, a researcher at MarketWatch Guides, called it a “seismic shift” while speaking to Fox News.

“When you think about how deeply the automobile and driving are tied to American identity and American culture, I think it's actually a pretty seismic thing and it suggests that some very important changes are happening culturally,” he said.

One of the reasons attributed to the decline in the number of teenagers applying for driver's licenses is the ever-increasing access to ride-sharing apps and public transportation. Other experts add that this generation is more concerned about the damage driving causes to the environment.

“This generation is very environmentalist. You know, they are worried about the impacts of fossil fuels. People are aware of the damage that driving causes to the environment (…) so there is a desire to move away of this, 'Daniel Knowles, who wrote the book'Carmagedon” which discusses the negative impacts of automobiles, said NBC News.

Apart from this, stress and anxiety also play a role.

“Driving has become a lot more stressful over the last decade or more. It's gotten especially worse in the last few years since the pandemic, it seems like an awful lot of people are just driving a lot worse. We're seeing that at the l “Increase in the number of deaths and the number of car accidents,” Mr Knowles said.

Gen Zers are also concerned about their finances, as they are accumulating more student debt than previous generations.

“Driving a car, owning a car, keeping a car, maintaining a car. Every aspect of owning a car costs a lot of money. If you take that expense out, it can literally be life-changing,” Straughan told the Post .

Access to social media and texting have also eliminated some of the need to meet friends to socialize, as teenagers and young adults were able to do in the past.