Gen Z Is Driving Less Than Prior Generations

Zoomers are turning to Uber, Lyft, and public transit more than the generations before them, and it’s part of an upward trend to move away from America’s “car-centric culture.”

“I haven’t needed one to this point. If there’s an emergency, I’ll call an Uber or 911,” Madison Corr, a 24-year-old told The Washington Post.

The younger generation was born between 1996 and 2012. They didn’t see the learner permit, the license, and the new car in their teenage years as exciting coming-of age stages. Many are not interested in driving in their twenties.

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Generation Z members are choosing to use public transport or Ubers to get to their destinations. Driving is less popular. (Fox News)

Gabe Balog, a 23-year old, told The Post that “It would be so much better for everyone if public transport were just more accessible,” He added that he waited till he was in his twenties for his license to apply.

Green Car Congress analyzed Federal Highway Administration data and found that 18-year olds in America had their driver’s licence in 2018, a drop of nearly 20 percent over 1983 (80% to 61%). Meanwhile, 16-year-olds having a license fell by almost 20% during the same period.

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In this photo illustration Warsaw (Poland), 21 September 2022, the Uber app with a map showing New York City can be seen on an Apple iPhone.  (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In 1997, when the youngest Zoomers were still babies, there was more than 40% of 16-year olds who had licenses. In 2020, it was only 25%.

What is the cause of this change and how can it be sustained?

Zoomers have more options for rides than ever before. You also have the option of taking cabs. This is another option. The rising generation American culture and ideas about adulthood are changing.

Some people made the decision because of concerns about the environment, while others did it for internal reasons.

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Young adults and teens are increasingly choosing public transportation and ridesharing apps to replace their driving licenses. (iStock)

“There is the question of independence, at least that’s what I’m told all the time, but I’m an anxious person and driving does seem intimidating to me. I’ve tried it, and it just feels very hard. And I do love public transportation, so I plan things very much in advance and make sure I can get a train there,” Celeste Robinson was a senior in high school at the time and told the Associated Press about her experiences in 2021. 

Kat Wilson said that Antoher was Kat Wilson. “I hate cars, I don’t trust people driving them, especially in New Jersey, and I see a lot of accidents, and it’s scary. When someone pulls into our lane, maybe from a parking lot, I just automatically tense up.”

This trend also coincides with other head-scratching styles coming from the TikTok generationThe cancel culture push by certain, social media-driven obsessions and rethinking of the push for a 4-year diploma.

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