worriedshuffle OP t1_j9ii4ca wrote on February 22, 2023 at 5:14 AM

Reply to comment by AC_Merchant in [OC] Percent of American teens with a driver’s license by year by worriedshuffle

Good question. That’s the data they have. My guess is their reporting methodology changed.

st4n13l t1_j9ir6rn wrote on February 22, 2023 at 6:54 AM

I'm guessing it's because that's about the time a lot of states started implementing restrictions on newly licensed drivers especially around passengers allowed in the vehicle. Makes it a lot less appealing if you can't drive your friends around.

glmory t1_j9jh93u wrote on February 22, 2023 at 12:27 PM

This reminds me of malls trying to chase away teenagers. Well, it worked. The teenagers never liked malls much as a result and kept that world view as they got older.

A lot of older people will be shocked as younger Americans vote against things that make life easier for people who drive. Making driving unattractive for young people was the explicit goal though.

st4n13l t1_j9jkaqi wrote on February 22, 2023 at 12:56 PM

Honestly I think it's a blessing that these types of unintended long term consequences are happening.

PredictorX1 t1_j9jnlr1 wrote on February 22, 2023 at 1:24 PM

Why do you think so?

st4n13l t1_j9ju6lz wrote on February 22, 2023 at 2:16 PM

Because I'm these examples the unintended consequences are that you get younger generations who are more supportive of policies like increased public transportation options and sustainable development.

I obviously don't think that the two examples mentioned here are the sole driver of these shifts in viewpoints, but they are certainly part of the soup.

totallyjaded t1_j9lpm5v wrote on February 22, 2023 at 9:49 PM

That makes sense, I guess.

I got my license in 1992. Other than my license saying "UNDER 21", it wasn't different from anyone else's license. I had bought my car a few months earlier, and was picking up friends to go to the mall within a half hour of getting home from taking the test on my 16th birthday.

But by the time my brother got his license in 95 or 96, there were all sorts of restrictions on when you could drive and how many passengers you could have. I think for the first year, you could only have one person under 18, and only until midnight. Come to think of it, I don't think he bought a car until he needed one to commute to college.

onsinsandneedles t1_j9mpz50 wrote on February 23, 2023 at 2:01 AM

I’m pretty sure several states raised the age to get a driver’s license in the 90’s.