Decline in Driver Licenses

Guest: Brandon Schoettle, Project Manager of the Sustainable Worldwide Transportation Group at the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute  If turning 16 is a big deal, it’s for really one reason – you’re old enough to get a driver’s license in most states and maybe even get a car if your parents really like you. So it’s surprising to discover that only a quarter of all 16 year-olds in the US have a license. That rate has actually been declining steadily since the 1980s when closer to half of 16 year olds were licensed to drive.