Zoomers are turning to Uber, Lyft and public transportation more than the generations before them, and it’s part of an upward trend to move away from America’s “car-centric culture.”
The rising generation, born loosely between 1996 and 2012, never looked at the learner’s permit, the license and the new car as novel coming-of-age stages during their teenage years and many are uninterested in getting behind the wheel in their twenties as well.
In 1997, 43 percent of 16-year-olds and 52 percent of 17-year-olds had their driver’s license, The Washington Post noted Monday. “Even older members of Gen Z are lagging behind their millennial counterparts. In 1997, almost 90 percent of 20- to 25 year-olds had licenses; in 2020, it was only 80 percent.”
There are several potential reasons for this shift away from car culture and driving – cost of auto insurance, fear of accidents, environment and climate concerns, comfort with public transportation, and ride sharing apps.