American dream in danger: young people no longer enthusiastic about driving a car

We live in strange times. I blogged already about Japanese youngsters no longer interested in sex, in credit worthy developing countries that have to subsidise not credit worthy developed countries and now we are shocked by American youth no longer wanting to drive a car (in Japan that is even more extreme).


Per capita peolpe drive now in the US as much as in 1995. The US is no longer itself since the credit crisis. The main culprit are the people below 35 that drive much less.

The car, the symbol of independency, is no longer a must for a bigger and bigger part of the US youth. They prefer to sit behind a computer, chatting on Facebook etc, they borrow the car of daddy sometimes and say they want to protect the environment. Gas gurglers are out, less gas consuming cars are in.

A growing part of the youth is too lazy to get a drivers licence, they are scared by lower subsidies/ less possibilities to learn driving at schools. In ten year time the number people below 30 (and above 15) without a drivers licence from 21% to 26%. This is not only because of the high unemployment of the below 30’s. Even bonus getting too much earning youth loathes cars nowadays. Partly that is because of the high gas prices.

The car manufacturers try to get those environment in love again with cars by offering electrical cars with spottify and social media installed.

Sources: FT Young Americans turn away from driving: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/78420798-895c-11e1-bed0-00144feab49a.html#ixzz1sZ0s92qB

chart:

http://www.businessinsider.com/vehicle-miles-driven-february-2012-4#ixzz1ssG9QngW