New Drivers Older than Ever

Nationwide, Teens Learn to Drive Later and Later

Do you remember coming of age and finally earning the right-of-passage to get your driver’s license? The freedom that driving a vehicle gave you? The endless number of places you finally could go?

Interestingly, today’s 16-year-olds aren’t as anxious to get their driver’s license as their parents’ generation was. In fact, statistics show teens are learning to drive later than age 16, Connecticut’s legal age for obtaining a learner’s permit.

Less than half (44%) of teenagers obtain a driver’s license within 12 months of the minimum age for licensing in their state. Two decades ago, two-thirds (66%) of teens were licensed by their 18th birthday. Now just over half (54%) get their license before their 18th birthday, which is raising some concerns from safety experts. They worry that young adults are missing the benefits intended by Graduated Driver’s licensing Laws (GDL).

Why Delay Learning to Drive?

Further research shows the new GDL laws are not to blame for the fall off in licensed teen drivers. Rather, a number of other issues influence young adults to wait to get behind the wheel. Check out what AAA’s national foundation study found were the popular culprits:

- 44% Did not have a car

- 39% Could get around without driving

- 36% Gas was too expensive

- 36% Driving was too expensive

- 35% “Just didn’t get around to it”

“For a range of reasons, young adults increasingly are getting licensed without the benefit of parental supervision, extensive practice and gaining experience under less risky conditions that are the hallmark of a safety-focused licensing system,” said AAA’s Director of State Relations and teen driver issue expert, Justin McNaull.  “Researchers and policymakers should examine whether existing state GDL systems – nearly all of which end once a teen turns 18 – can be modified to improve safety for these young adult novice drivers.”

We wonder what Connecticut parents think about their teens potentially delaying learning to drive. Let us know if you think this is putting new drivers (and other drivers on the road) at risk. If you have a teen who’s delaying registering for a permit or obtaining a license, let us know why that is. Leave your comments below!