Getting a driver's license is considered a rite of passage in American culture. Turning 16 means you can finally have a taste of freedom.
But this exciting coming-of-age moment has changed drastically over the past few decades, with less and less teens wanting to get behind the wheel.
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Data from the Federal Highway Administration shows only 25% of 16-year-olds had a driver's license in 2018, and only 61% of teens had their licenses by age 18.
Those rates are dramatically lower compared to 1983, according to Green Car Congress. Back then, 46% of 16-year-olds and 80% of 18-year-olds were licensed drivers.
As for why teens are less eager to get their license than previous generations, some prefer more environmentally friendly options like ridesharing and public transportation. They say driving themselves is too stressful.
"I'm an anxious person and driving does seem intimidating to me. I've tried it and it just feels very hard," Celeste Robinson, a high school senior in Boston, told the Associated Press. "And I do love public transportation, so I plan things very much in advance and make sure I can get a train there."
Others just don't seem to care about cars.
"I hate cars, I don't trust people driving them, especially in New Jersey, and I see a lot of accidents and it's scary," Kat Wilson told the AP. "When someone pulls into our lane, maybe from a parking lot, I just automatically tense up."
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Other reasons teens give for not getting their license, according to a 2013 study from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, are that they're too busy, owning a vehicle is too expensive, they can get a ride from someone else, or they prefer to bike or walk. Some say they simply don't need to go anywhere, since they can conduct most activities online.
States have also made getting a license more difficult for young drivers over the years. Some have raised the minimum age to 18, while others mandate many hours of supervised driving to graduate from a permit to a license.
For those teens who are eager to get behind the wheel, WalletHub has put together a list of the best and worst states for teen drivers. The website ranked all 50 states using 23 key metrics, from the number of teen driver fatalities to the average cost of car repairs to the presence of impaired-driving laws.
The best states are:
1. New York
2. Oregon
3. Connecticut
4. Alaska
5. Massachusetts
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. Texas
9. Maryland
10. New Jersey
The worst states are:
1. Wyoming
2. Idaho
3. South Dakota
4. Montana
5. Missouri
6. Mississippi
7. Nebraska
8. Arkansas
9. New Hampshire
10. South Carolina
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