Let’s Get Our Young People Behind the Wheel. Driving is a Necessity in Today’s World. But Generation Z is Falling Behind.

Think about your childhood conception of adult life. You almost certainly looked forward to the freedom and independence of driving a car. It was assumed that driving was just a fact of adulthood. It was virtually synonymous with the legal coming of age.

Now think about your workplace or social circle. Chances are, there’s at least one or two 20 somethings who don’t drive – and aren’t necessarily planning to get their license or a car anytime soon either.

In 1983, 91.8% of Americans aged 20-24 were licensed drivers. In 2018, the figure had dipped to 80.1%, according to data curated by Statista. Even among adults in the second half of their 30s, the driver’s licensed percentage has declined from 94.9% to 90.9%.

The trend is clear that Americans are learning to drive later in life. And to an extent, that can be good.

More and more states have recognized that it just isn’t safe for 15- or 16-year-olds to be behind the wheel alone or with friends. Graduated driver’s licenses have made the roads safer and ensured that young people are more prepared when they finally do get their license.

But if young people delay driver’s education for too long, they aren’t equipped for the needs of the workforce and adult life.

True, Uber and Lyft make it easier to get around some cities without a car (though ride-sharing apps aren’t the rage like they were pre-COVID). And a future of driverless cars that makes learning to drive obsolete is regularly touted by Big Tech.

Yet like it or not, America is still a car-centered culture. California even more so. And every car presently on the market still requires a licensed and trained human driver.

By not learning to drive, today’s young adults have a harder time with their career progression. Many internships and jobs aren’t close to home. Yet no one can move all the time to get closer to each opportunity. And that’s all the truer in 2022 considering the high cost of rents and housing that by necessity keep many young adults living with parents, relatives or roommates.

Safety is also a big concern. The Los Angeles Times recently reported how even with the run-up in gas prices, public transportation is still a tough sell in major cities because of high crime.

The reality is Americans live in a lawless land, especially in urban areas. And with the rise in homelessness, it’s even more imperative in many places to get where you need to go without too much delay.

It’s not safe for young adults – especially young women – to be out and about in many neighborhoods without cars. Especially at night.

When I worked at Nordstrom Rack, I remember one young woman who didn’t drive and was often forced to take public transportation to get to and from the workplace. And we worked on a stock team with overnight and very early morning shifts.

Regardless of how much street smarts she might have, any thinking person would agree it’s not safe for a young woman to be on the streets of an American city in the wee hours of the morning without a car.

But hers is a common story among younger generations, especially in California.

What can we do to give Generation Z a fairer chance for adult life by giving them wheels? Here’s some solutions:

Bring Back Driver’s Ed

Many high schools no longer offer driver’s ed in California. True, there’s driving schools and AAA. And sometimes parents or other caring adults can help. But for many low- to moderate-income students from families in which all adults must work full-time, school is the most logical place to learn how to drive without shelling out scarce dollars.

The mission of our school systems is supposed to be to develop students to their maximum potential and prepare them for the adult world. Teaching them how to drive is a great place to start.

For school districts concerned about the burden of having cars on hand for student drivers or paying driver's ed instructors, there is always the option of contracting with driving schools, which limits costs and liability while still ensuring young people get the education they need.

Ironically, in the 21st century, teens brought up on rural farms are learning to drive before their peers in urban school systems because they learn to drive tractors and pickup trucks their parents own. But the public schooled urbanite doesn't get the same opportunities. What a strange disparity!

Help Youth With Driving Anxieties Overcome

When young people are taught to drive, the focus is usually on curbing irresponsibility and preventing reckless driving. But while that is a legitimate concern, little attention is paid to the opposite challenge: young people, often with more introverted temperaments, who have anxieties about driving, especially on busy urban freeways.

I’ve met a good number of young adults who don’t have their licenses or don’t drive because they have anxieties about being behind the wheel.

I certainly don’t belittle their concerns. It's understandable in our fast-paced times. But I know their lives will be limited if they don’t overcome these fears.

It’s time for high schools, colleges and youth groups to take the time to offer support and mentorship, in a non-judgmental way, to those timid of being behind the wheel.

With a focus on being safe, many of these youth will actually be among society’s most responsible drivers. But they need encouragement and support.

Make Sure Cars Stay Affordable

Environmental concerns and high gas prices are combining to make electric vehicles the car of the future. And new tech is turning the average car into a mobile high-tech computer.

While these changes may be making our communities cleaner, safer, more efficient and more connected, they also risk making car ownership or rentership out-of-reach for the working or lower middle class.

Before legislating less efficient vehicles out of operation, it’s incumbent upon state and local officials to consider the impacts on affordability and make provisions to keep vehicle ownership within financial reach.

And it’s equally important for carmakers to not give up on the economy car. It might have less bells and whistles. But it could be helping Generation Z gain the independence they need.

Don’t Focus on Tomorrow So Much That We Forget About Today

Our school systems are more future-oriented than ever before. It’s because we recognize in our high-tech times that we need to prepare the next generation for the world they will spend their adult lives in.

While that is a laudable goal, we can’t lose sight of the world of today.

Maybe in a few decades, driving as we know it won’t be as necessary. Perhaps cars really will drive themselves to such an extent that knowing how to operate a vehicle isn’t needed. Or perhaps public transportation or ride sharing will evolve into something that honestly renders the private car model obsolete.

But perhaps not.

Self-driving cars have been on the horizon for about a decade. But there’s been some roadblocks that have prevented the vision from becoming reality. And there’s a good chance that driverless cars will only drive themselves in certain places or settings and will need the guidance of a human driver in other situations. Or driverless cars might be so expensive that they take decades more to catch on for the average person.

In the meantime, a generation falls further behind as they can’t drive.

Let’s take action today to make the world more accessible to Generation Z by helping them get behind the wheel confidently and competently.?