The End of Car Culture?
 

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/s...r-culture.html

The United States, with its broad expanses and suburban ideals, had long been one of the world’s prime car cultures. It is the birthplace of the Model T; the home of Detroit; the place where Wilson Pickett immortalized “Mustang Sally” and the Beach Boys, “Little Deuce Coupe.”

But America’s love affair with its vehicles seems to be cooling. When adjusted for population growth, the number of miles driven in the United States peaked in 2005 and dropped steadily thereafter, according to an analysis by Doug Short of Advisor Perspectives, an investment research company. As of April 2013, the number of miles driven per person was nearly 9 percent below the peak and equal to where the country was in January 1995. Part of the explanation certainly lies in the recession, because cash-strapped Americans could not afford new cars, and the unemployed weren’t going to work anyway. But by many measures the decrease in driving preceded the downturn and appears to be persisting now that recovery is under way. The next few years will be telling.

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Demographic shifts in the driving population suggest that the trend may accelerate. There has been a large drop in the percentage of 16- to 39-year-olds getting a license, while older people are likely to retain their licenses as they age, Mr. Sivak’s research has found.

He and I have similar observations about our children. Mine (19 and 21) have not bothered to get a driver’s license, even though they both live in places where one could come in handy. They are interested, but it’s not a priority. They organize their summer jobs and social life around where they can walk or take public transportation or car-pool with friends.

I've been reading and hearing about this trend for a while.

Last summer Autoline Detroit on PBS covered this topic in depth. Interesting how automobile companies have to compete with so-called "life experiences" and social networking media.

16 to 21 year olds cant get a job so easily any more.

The next economic boom will most likely see a return to more licensed drivers.

A lot of job ads I see require you to show a drivers license even if the job has nothing to do with driving.

Completely misses one reason for the drop in miles driven: telecommuting. Even though I drive as much to get to various recreational stuff, the elimination of at least 95% of work-related driving from my life means my total miles are down by at least a third, maybe half.

Same trend in Europe, BTW.
Youngsters are no longer really interested in cars.

Seems normal when they are getting thoroughly indoctrinated from kindergarten onwards that cars are bad and more or less the cause of all evil ...

I have actually seen a number of 20something young males in my area which seem to have developed a phobia of driving a car. Unheard of in the 70's when I got my license

I think the cars are having a little boom right now. The horsepower wars are in full force, diesel trucks, tuner cars, the subaru guys, the vdub guys, us, the list goes on. There are forums for even the most mundane vehicles.

Most of those guys who have car phobia ride around on a bike with no helmet. Rather ironic. With populations growing, less and less people in the city want to deal with a car and I understand that. In some cases it can't be afforded. A relative of mine pays $40,000 a year for a single spot in a parking garage in NYC.

Beyond that, even socialization takes place online now. Social media has allowed more people to keep in touch, more than ever. And they can keep in touch without visiting in person.

Better for me. I don't have to bankrupt myself on a cross-Pacific plane ticket to visit my relations Stateside. It's been twenty five years since I visited the family in Spokane.

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The newer generation can't afford cars, and are building their lives around not using them. Not a bad thing, in my opinion.

Leaves more gas for the rest of us. :D

take social media and cell phones away.

Understandably so! Cars are a pain in the butt! could you imagine knowing nothing about a car and it breaking down? Well thats a big part cars have gotten more complex and car games they play just keep dumbing down. its a massive opposing force to love of cars. Similar to my change over 15 years back I drooled over Hemi cudas and GTO judges, now 3 cyl air cooled deisel converted metropolitans. well not quite so but you understand what I mean.