Young people driving less now – but what about in 5 to 10 years? June 2010

Advertising Age magazine reports (May 31, 2010) statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation that show an overall decrease in driving by Americans under the age of 30. For example, in 1978 no less than 92 percent of 19-year-olds had a driver’s license; by 2008, that number slipped to 77 percent.

The magazine also reports the share of miles driven by younger people has fallen over the past 15 years. In 1995, the percent of automobile miles driven by people aged 21 to 30 was 20.8 percent. But by 2009, that share fell to 13.7 percent even while the demographic segment grew disproportionately (data is from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Household Travel Survey, released in 2010).

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