The Car vs. The Internet

[Sleek Stratos]

Article

Basically, teens and young adults are apparently replacing driving around with their buddies, with virtual contact through the web and such. Here's a snippet.

From 1983 to 2008, the share of 16- to 39-year-olds with driver's licenses declined markedly, with the greatest decreases among drivers in their late teens and early 20s, according to a study at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute in Ann Arbor. About 69 percent of 17-year-olds had a driver's license in 1983. By 2008, that had dropped to 50 percent. Among Americans ages 20 to 24 in 1983, nearly 92 percent had driver's licenses. Twenty-five years later, it was 82 percent.

More recent data from the Federal Highway Administration indicates the trend has continued, according to a report released Thursday by the Frontier Group, an environmental organization, and the consumer-oriented U.S. PIRG Education Fund. The share of 20- to 34-year-olds without a driver's license decreased from 89.6 percent in 2000 to 84.3 percent in 2010, the report said.

[...]

There isn't enough information to say for certain that teens and younger adults are replacing trips with social networking and other Internet usage, but "there is strong data supporting this hypothesis," Sivak said. The institute's research is paid for with federal, state and auto industry contributions.

"For generations, the automobile has typified freedom," Bergquist said. "At 16, many people wanted to get their driver's license because that was the way people connected with their friends." Now, she said, "We're seeing people connect through their iPhones. That's their primary motivation — they want to be in touch with their friends, so they are less focused on buying a vehicle."

The numbers sure seem to say a lot, although maybe the last recession is wedged in those stats somewhere. Even if smart phones and social networks WERE the cause here, it's fair to say that as people grow older and start to settle down, they'll still contribute to the automotive industry.

That said, the young adult crowd has always been a prime target for manufacturers, and a big one at that so I wonder how they'll approach this in years to come. Would cars like the first Mustang have risen to where they got without that market? Unlikely.

 

[Joel]

It's more because you have to be very lucky to afford a car and insurance and gas nowadays. It's cheaper to pay a $50 phone bill than $50 a week for gas, $300 a month for insurance, a couple grand for the car itself, it's a lot of money to a kid who's about to be spending $20k a year on university. I lucked out that my parents gave me their old corolla instead of selling it. Gas is still really expensive to a kid working for minimum wage. That's why. It's not about nobody wanting to drive because they like phones better, it's because teenagers often can't afford to drive much.

 

[Dapper]

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004986.html

I think it's a combination of both easy access to everyone virtually and a migration to places where a license isn't needed. Arizona doubled in size in 20 years. California gained 8m people. New York gained 5m people.

West Virginia, The Mountain State, gained 60,000 people.

 

[BobK]

I believe the article was about drivers licensing, not car ownership. That being said, adding a teen with a shiny new license to the family auto insurance is definitely a hefty expense.

When I was in my late teens, getting a license was pretty much a rite of passage. Seems that's not as true today as it was in the past.

Another consideration: Except for groceries, my car has been largely replaced for shopping purposes by a brown truck.

 

[Slash]

Yeah I'm 17 and I could really care less about driving. I'd rather have a car to tinker with than drive it. Most of the people I know feel the same why. They don't want to drive. No need. No interest.

 

[AlexGTV]

I'm getting bored driving in the city and really miss summer and those open coutryside roads.

 

[homeforsummer]

If I was getting my licence today, it'd certainly be a struggle running it with modern insurance and fuel prices. I'd do it somehow though. I couldn't really do without either cars or the internet though, as I write about one on t'other...

I'd echo the lack of surprise about the article. Running a car is just too expensive for many people. Most people I grew up with own cars, and drive. Most people in my ex-girlfriend's age group, around 4 years younger, don't own cars, and don't drive.

I'd rather have a car to tinker with than drive it.

I don't wish to offend, but I can't think of anything more pointless. You may as well tinker with a lawnmower. Or just do it all in make-believe on GT5.

 

[Slash]

If I was getting my licence today, it'd certainly be a struggle running it with modern insurance and fuel prices. I'd do it somehow though. I couldn't really do without either cars or the internet though, as I write about one on t'other...

I'd echo the lack of surprise about the article. Running a car is just too expensive for many people. Most people I grew up with own cars, and drive. Most people in my ex-girlfriend's age group, around 4 years younger, don't own cars, and don't drive.



I don't wish to offend, but I can't think of anything more pointless. You may as well tinker with a lawnmower. Or just do it all in make-believe on GT5.

Even I know it's pointless. But for some reason I just have a massive craving to build engines just to build them.

 

[homeforsummer]

Even I know it's pointless. But for some reason I just have a massive craving to build engines just to build them.

At least you admit it

I just think the car is so much more than the sum of its parts. An engine is just some bits of metal if it's not being used to drive somewhere.

I can certainly understand the appeal of spannering, it's good fun to work on my old Beetle, but frankly I find it all a bit tedious compared to getting out there and driving!

 

[Slash]

At least you admit it

I just think the car is so much more than the sum of its parts. An engine is just some bits of metal if it's not being used to drive somewhere.

I can certainly understand the appeal of spannering, it's good fun to work on my old Beetle, but frankly I find it all a bit tedious compared to getting out there and driving!

I've always been in the high performance scene even when I was very little, so I grew up on it and fell in love with it. I've got major plans for when I get my Mustang...sure the 5.0 in it is built but I'd rather build a new engine myself, with the 5.8 block in my garage. I'll feel more proud and accomplished. 400hp isn't scary enough for me, I've been around near 1000hp V8's all my life. I'll be looking at a 450hp build. Not too much.

 

[Dapper]

I looked up the average increase to a families car insurance to add one teen to their policy. It cost about $600/year, or about $50/month, or ~$1.50 per day.

 

[Joel]

I looked up the average increase to a families car insurance to add one teen to their policy. It cost about $600/year, or about $50/month, or ~$1.50 per day.

That's hilarious. It's like 1500 extra at the very lowest here. Often springing up to almost 3 grand. And that's without accidents and completing driver's ed.

If I was getting my licence today, it'd certainly be a struggle running it with modern insurance and fuel prices. I'd do it somehow though. I couldn't really do without either cars or the internet though, as I write about one on t'other...

I'd echo the lack of surprise about the article. Running a car is just too expensive for many people. Most people I grew up with own cars, and drive. Most people in my ex-girlfriend's age group, around 4 years younger, don't own cars, and don't drive.

It's what I'm finding with my age group too. There's a higher percentage of teens who drive here than the national average (I'm assuming) because it's a small rural county and every town is spread out by about 15-20km. It's just a bit more old fashioned here, it's impossible to get around without driving; the only public transport is a very barebones bus service which would cost 12$ round trip for me to go 15km to school or to see my girlfriend, and at that price it doesn't make sense when I can just drive. But it is very expensive and it's a bit of a shame that insurance is so high. I mean it's probably peanuts compared to what you guys pay in the UK, but it's still a pretty good pile of money.

 

[Slash]

$2000 at least here. Give me a sports car and it goes up a few grand.

 

[Dapper]

http://www.insurance.com/auto-insur...o-my-car-insurance-policy-costs-how-much.aspx

My reference.

 

[Keef]

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004986.html

I think it's a combination of both easy access to everyone virtually and a migration to places where a license isn't needed. Arizona doubled in size in 20 years. California gained 8m people. New York gained 5m people.

West Virginia, The Mountain State, gained 60,000 people.

Yeah, I think growing urban populations are helping to increase the age when kids typically get their license or a car. Especially in an area like New York a car just isn't necessary, even across the river in Newark. I've never been to LA or Phoenix so I don't know how they're laid out but I imagine much of those cities are densely packed with residential and commercial areas in close proximity. I think the trend toward college attendance also contributes because many kids don't really need cars on-campus. Dayton is pretty spread out but I could get away without driving to work, it being only a mile away.