Why America stopped driving

lemko · March 2012

Shoot, how many young kids can afford $4-$5 a gallon gas? When I was young, if I had $5 for gas, I could cruise around all night and not even use up all of it.

fintail · March 2012

That would probably go over - the Civrolla and Prius crowd would flock to it. And for commuting, it would make sense anyway.

fintail · March 2012

I remember paying $1.50 or so back around 1993 when I started driving, and it broke me almost as soon as I got money. I think that's one reason my dad wanted me to have that Galaxie with a 390/4bbl - I wouldn't be able to afford to wreak too much havoc :shades:

lemko · March 2012

I think gas was around 85 cents a gallon when I first started driving in the early 1980s. The (ahem) "gas shortages" were over by that time and prices dropped from the then-insane price of $1.29 for RUG. in 1979. I had a 1968 Buick Special Deluxe that ran on RLG and seemed to get a respectable 20 MPG despite its 350-cube V-8. Of course, friends always pitched in for gas money regardless of whose car we were using that night, so that helped a lot.

hackattack5 · March 2012

My son is turning 16 next week and has no plans to get his license. He watched his older brother (18) work a job every weekend just to pay for gas and insurance. Me and my wife thought we were teaching them to be responsible but I think it has backfired. I am glad I grew up in the 80s.

stever · March 2012

I think that's been somewhat true of every age. I didn't start adding money to my savings account until I got rid of car payments. My 50ish brother in law is an urban cat and outside of high school driver's ed, has never driven.

The 29.9 gas that was common when I started driving spoiled me for road trips though. Just did a 4,000 mile jaunt that cost ~$800, and that price would have been ~$400 a couple of years ago.

Still, it's more fun than watching a travelogue video on an iPad.

stever · April 2012

"The latest models from Mercedes-Benz incorporate a range of features that can update with your tech, including an iPad mount for rear-seat entertainment and cloud-based apps for web searches, directions and even stock market quotes."

Smart Money

stever · June 2012

"Apple said it is working with vehicle manufacturers to integrate its Siri voice-control technology from the iPhone into future cars.

Apple's new Eyes Free feature will minimize distracted driving by enabling drivers to make hands-free calls, play music, compose and listen to text messages, get map directions and more."

Apple Eyes Free: Siri for Cars (Inside Line)

stever · July 2012

A reporter is looking for Midwestern/Southern US residents born between the ages of 17 and 30 who do not plan to purchase a vehicle and who frequently use public transportation. If you fit this description, and you are willing to share your story, please send your daytime contact information to pr@edmunds.com no later than 10 a.m. Pacific on Friday, July 20, 2012

qbrozen · July 2012

born between the ages of 17 and 30

Wow. Tough delivery on their mothers! :surprise:

stever · July 2012

lol, tried to clean up the text before my nap. Ah well..., can you skip the "born" part?

stever · August 2012

"Generation Y consumers 'born approximately between 1979 and 1995' aren't buying cars. The reasons range from a weak economy to environmental concerns to the proliferation of car-sharing companies like Zipcar.

People under 35 accounted for 24.4 percent of car acquisitions in 2001, but that number dropped to 12.7 percent in 2010, according to a J.D. Power and Associates and AARP study reported in Adweek in 2010."

Car dealerships struggle to lure Gen Y consumers (Detroit News)

stever · August 2012

"A vehicle is really a discretionary purchase and a secondary need versus an iPhone, mobile phone or personal computer," Vitale said.

Jordan Wesolek, a Blue Man Group front-office worker from Chicago, said he pays $300 a year for Internet service and is saving his extra cash for a $2,199 MacBook Pro laptop from Apple Inc.

'Not There'

The 23-year-old sound tech, who rides his fixed-gear bike to work, said he isn't thinking about buying a car anytime soon.

"Right now, I couldn't do it," said Wesolek, who recently invested almost $500 for a new wheel and other parts to refurbish a bike he originally bought for $120. "And the desire to own a car is just not there."

4G Internet more important to Gen Y than V-8 cars (Detroit News)

robr2 · August 2012

Ahhh - Hipsters.

They spend big money on fixies by not buying deodorant nor razor blades and drinking PBR.

stever · August 2012

Ohh, that reminds me my commuter slicks for the mountain bike arrive today. :shades:

fintail · August 2012

I was going to say, apple toting hipsters might not represent the demographic in general. Not to mention the whole hipster ideal is often one of feigned poverty.

stever · January 2014

Here's another in the kids don't drive anymore category.

"You can blame the economy, social media, the labor market or new laws, but one thing is clear: young drivers aren’t flocking to the car market.

“The financial crisis hit the younger generations the hardest and now a lot of these people don’t have the financial wherewithal to get credit to get a car,” says Lacey Plache, chief economist for Edmunds.com. “They don’t have jobs or an apartment, so right now, many of them don’t have the need for a car.”

Our old friend Karl notes “The increase of social media activity makes it less necessary for teens to get into a car to hang out and talk,” says Brauer. “They can now see their friends on their phone and computer screens.”

Junior Isn’t Driving and Millennials Aren't Buying, What Gives? (foxbusiness.com)

dooberguy · January 2014

Just speaking from personal experience here I think the statistics are misleading. I'm in my mid-twenties and all of my friends and coworkers my age have cars. ALL of them. The statistics might be misled because of how many of us either buy or are given second hand cars from family members. Two of my close friends have purchased used cars from dealers, but all the rest have been private party transactions or gifts from family.

stever · January 2014

Good to hear some of you twenty-somethings are keeping us in business. :-)

Lots of the stats likely come from state registration information, not just dealer or private sales. And it'd be interesting to know if your group is all working and if you are in an urban area or a place a bit more spread out. Some place like Dallas would be a lot harder to get around in than Seattle without wheels.

Oh yeah, you've been talking to Kirstie about car seats - wheels will really come in handy with a kiddo on the way.

Sales numbers from the rest of this next year should shed some light on whether the nice sales numbers of 2013 were a blip or if the driving trend is back in the groove as the economy seems to be improving.

dooberguy · January 2014

I'm from LA so public transit here isn't really an option. Fortunately my friends have all found work, not great work, but we all have work which is a blessing. And yes, the impending arrival of my first kid has me looking into cars seriously for the first time. Every car I've ever driven has been a hand-me-down from family so I'm hitting the forums looking for advice. Just thought I'd comment on this article because I think my generation gets misrepresented at times. We love cars, watch BBC Top Gear all the time. We just can't afford the nice cars yet, give us time.

stever · January 2014

Cool. I have a "step niece-in-law" out in San Diego who's 18, senior in high school. Her folks had to force her to get her license as they got tired of schlepping her around. She seems to mostly tolerate driving. Most all the kids in my rural area drive (but there's not many kids in my area).

dooberguy · January 2014

I think young women have a less intense desire for a license than young men, but I don't think that's a new phenomenon. My little sister was very excited for her license at least.

stever · January 2014

Yeah, I think you're right.The other similar one I know was a HS grad here who also had to be "encouraged" to get her license when she went off to school a couple of hours away.

My older sister got her license right away back in the 60s and has owned three times as many cars as I have, including a Firebird and a MG-B. Can only assume she bribed DMV though; she's still a lousy driver. I think she wrecked half of her cars.

stever · February 2014

"Younger drivers are eager to own cars and, according to a new study by Enterprise Holdings, they use rental cars to check out the latest models and features.

"Millennial respondents were particularly influenced by the rental experience, indicating that car rental is one of the best ways to introduce an automotive brand to the next generation of new car buyers," said Kurt Kohler, senior vice president of acquisition and remarketing for Enterprise Holdings, in a statement."

Millennials Use Car Rentals as Extended Test-Drives

stever · February 2014

"The most shocking thing about this driving decline is that it doesn’t seem to be caused by the weak economy.

Gas prices are lower today than they were six and a half years ago. And average fuel efficiency has surged over the last decade, putting the real cost of gasoline usage today no higher than it was a decade ago.

The most important group of drivers are those age 35 to 54. They’re in their prime working years, driving an average of 15,291 miles per year, according to the Department of Transportation. But driving falls off quickly as people move into retirement. Americans age 55 to 64 drive fewer than 12,000 miles per year, on average. And Americans age 65 and older drive an average of only 7,650 miles per year — half what they drove in their prime working years."

Why America stopped driving (Detroit Free Press)

berri · February 2014

I dunno - we appear to have a lower portion of people actively working full time now than for many years. Unemployment figures can be misleading because it doesn't account for long term unemployed or dropouts.

andys120 · February 2014

I have 2 nieces and a nephew who are the Gen Xers. The two who now reside in Manhattan are carless and seem quite content to be so. My niece who lives in downtown Baltimore could probably do without her own wheels but she likes her Toyota Yaris. I think the other two will acquire cars once they move out of Manhattan where public transit are less useful. I know my nephew avails himself of Zipcar whenever he needs a car which isn't that often.

For a whole bunch of reasons Gen Xers and Millenials just don't look at cars the way we do but if it means less traffic, I guess that's fine.

stever · February 2014

Don't forget that Gen Xers are getting a bit long in the tooth. Obama is a Gen Xer, depending on whose definition you use. Elon Musk definitely is. He's sort of a car guy.

stever · February 2014

And it's not just Americans.

"Excellent public transport, high fuel prices and a strong environmental movement mean that for many Germans the car has become an expendable accessory, or at worst an expensive liability.

New vehicle registrations fell below 3 million last year, continuing a two-decade decline. Meanwhile, the average age of buyers rose above 52 for the first time, compared with an average age of 46 in the mid-1990s."

As German car sales drop, industry bets on sharing (Detroit Free Press)

fintail · February 2014

Who's definition is that? Barry was born in 1961, definitely not an Xer. Musk on the other hand, born in 1971, is.

Regarding Germany - a nation with insanely developed and reliable public transit that most Americans couldn't fathom (some places still believe in social goods), along with high running costs (strict inspections, etc). Also lots of scooters and ATVs etc that can be ridden and parked anywhere. Small cars are often seen as something for retirees, rather than new drivers.

And regarding "stopped driving" - it sure doesn't seem that way in my neck of the woods.

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Don't forget that Gen Xers are getting a bit long in the tooth. Obama is a Gen Xer, depending on whose definition you use. Elon Musk definitely is. He's sort of a car guy.

stever · February 2014

"Jon Miller at the Longitudinal Study of American Youth at the University of Michigan wrote that "Generation X refers to adults born between 1961 and 1981". (Wikipedia)

If you can't trust a Michigander, who can you trust?

Mr_Shiftright · February 2014

did anyone mention that most driving environments today sort of suck? I mean traffic, police, bad roads, expensive parking, and, at least in America, the most incompetent and/or distracted drivers on earth, short of some third-world countries presently in the grip of violent civil war.

We've done a pretty good job of bringing down traffic deaths, but not much in the way of making driving pleasant, or convenient, in most cases.

Sure, we can still have those idyllic moments on quiet country roads, but for most of us, driving every day can be a bit of a chore.

My best advice to young drivers? Get a small, nimble car, a huge batch of audio podcasts and music, and stay off the freeways. Never drive behind a rental truck, avoid any pickup with a "lift", avoid any motorcycle, avoid driving behind any car where you cannot see the driver's head, avoid any car in primer, avoid any Camaro, avoid any car with a large plastic statue, beads, prisms or feathers hanging from the rear view mirror, get a toll fastpass transponder, join AAA, get a windshield video cam, get a Garmin or phone app that alerts you to exits and traffic info, don't buy a big dog, don't smoke in the car and pretend everyone else is trying to kill you.

stever · February 2014

And don't get behind anything being towed and avoid cars with stuff on the roof.

However, if I avoided any cars where you can't see the driver's head, I wouldn't be able to run any errands around here.

fintail · February 2014

Never heard that one. Kind of a stretch. IMO born in 61 is not an Xer - someone who certainly got going when the relationship between menial wage jobs and education (or average wages and housing costs, at least where I live) was a lot better than years later. I've always thought 1964 was the earliest accepted year.

Driving in most areas is a chore during weekdays, no fun in it. But to most drivers, I don't know if any kind of driving is fun. Corollas sell for that very reason.

Shifty's list needs to add stuffed animals on the dash or rear parcel shelf, and avoid anyone wearing hats or traditional headgear.

@Stever@Edmunds said:
"Jon Miller at the Longitudinal Study of American Youth at the University of Michigan wrote that "Generation X refers to adults born between 1961 and 1981". (Wikipedia)

If you can't trust a Michigander, who can you trust?

Mr_Shiftright · February 2014

I can foresee how younger drivers will fuel the Autonomous Car Revolution, too. They love gadgets, so why not be driven around by one?

I have no problem with Autonomous Cars. I'd probably opt to use one 50% of the time myself.

fintail · February 2014

I wouldn't mind having my car drive me home in the afternoon grind after I've been at work for 10 hours. There's no fun to be had no matter who is driving.

uplanderguy · February 2014

I always chuckled at a friend's '56 Packard...lighter was spelled out as "Liter".

berri · February 2014

lighter was spelled out as "Liter

Perhaps the owner was a chain smoker

stever · June 2014

"After rising almost continuously since World War II, driving by U.S. households has declined nearly 10 percent since 2004, with a start before the Great Recession suggesting economics is not the only cause. "There's something more fundamental going on," says Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

The average American household now owns fewer than two cars, returning to the levels of the early 1990s.

More teens and 20-somethings are waiting to get a license. Less than 70 percent of 19-year-olds now have one, down from 87 percent two decades ago."

Americans and their cars: A love affair on fumes? (Yahoo)

andys120 · June 2014

@Mr_Shiftright said:
I can foresee how younger drivers will fuel the Autonomous Car Revolution, too. They love gadgets, so why not be driven around by one?

I have no problem with Autonomous Cars. I'd probably opt to use one 50% of the time myself.

Me too but I prolly won't live long enough to see driving outlawed altogether.

PF_Flyer · March 2017

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We have a reporter who would love to talk to you. Please send a note with details and your contact information to PR@Edmunds.com by Monday, March 13, 2017.

Why America stopped driving

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