| Not mentioned, or glossed over, in this story in favor of psychologists saying teens are scared: - gas prices - changes to license and permit laws for minors since 2000,[1] particularly the widespread introduction of graduated driver licensing programs that mean getting a license before age 18 doesn't grant the independence that it once did[2] - teen employment levels, even in recovery from steep decades-long lows, remain well below those of 25 years ago[3][4] - recent history; the decline was already steep in 2013, and 37% of a cohort of teens said they simply didn't have enough time to prioritize learning how to drive[5] - context of almost all age groups also declining in license attainment rates over the same period[5] - US auto manufacturers eliminating lower-priced models by converting everything to more expensive crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, with more-expensive EVs replacing compacts; even though a plurality of GenZers (36%) buying used vehicles in 2018 bought either compact or midsize cars, "Detroit is betting that even if young people wait longer to buy a car, they eventually will when finances improve and they start families. And then, they’ll buy an SUV or truck"[6] - preparing for student loan debt is a higher priority to teens and their families even before they incur any of it; a teen who bought a used car for $2,500 says "it was a relief to avoid car payments and debt"[6] - licenses require more formal training than ever, and the training costs hundreds or thousands of dollars when it used to be free, because public school drivers' ed programs were eliminated as states slashed education budgets alongside the introduction of GDL programs, leaving only expensive private classes[6] - increased urbanization has given more teens better access to walkable, bikable, transit-accessible, and rideshare-accessible neighborhoods[6] 1: https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2015/02/oregon_teen_dri... 2: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S00224... 3: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/21/after-dropp... 4: PDF: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/youth.pdf 5: https://news.umich.edu/percentage-of-teen-drivers-continues-... 6: https://archive.ph/20200101222010/https://www.wsj.com/articl... |