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Percentage of New Teen Drivers Drops to Less Than a Third
Fewer teens are getting their driver's licenses at age 16, according to a report from the Federal Highway Administration. Just 10 years ago, 43% of 16-year-olds were driving; today that figure has dropped to 29%.
Here are some of the reasons fewer teens are driving:
- In 1980, 90% of public schools offered driver's training; today less than 20% do, according to figures from the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association. Private driving schools are expensive - usually over $400 per course.
- Insurance for young drivers costs more than ever. According to figures from Allstate Insurance, it costs 80% to 100% the cost of a policy to add a 16-year-old driver. In years past, the cost was nominal. Teens have the highest crash rate of any group on the road, so they naturally cost the most to insure.
- More states are restricting 16-year-olds' driving privileges. New rules say they can only drive at certain hours of the day and night, they need to have a licensed driver in the car, and they need to complete more hours of training than ever.
- More parents are willing to chauffeur their teens to activities.
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