Why teens aren't driving as much as they used to

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published August 8, 2025 at 10:43 AM CDT

Alex Lockhart, left, and Mikayla Green, watch the sunset on top of a car. (Jay LaPrete/AP)

When you were a teen, did you jump at the opportunity to get your license? If so, you’re different from many young people these days.

According to a study from 2020, nearly 40% of teenagers delayed getting their license by one to two years. Thirty percent put it off for even longer than that. It’s part of a long-term trend of young people saying no to driving over the past two decades.

We dive into why that is with Angelina Ault, a 20-year-old who doesn’t drive, and Dr. Federico Vaca, professor and executive vice chair of the Emergency Medicine School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.