Gen Y Disinterested In Buying Cars And Driving

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

We’ve been seeing a glut of stories lately about Generation Y and their increasing distance from the automobile. A new study shows that while Generation X made up 21% of the miles driven in 1995, Generation Y made up only 14% of them in 2010.

The usual reasons have been trotted out, like the economic downturn, the rise of electronic gadgets replacing the car as a status symbol and the graduated licensing program making it harder for new drivers to get on the road. The latest trend of prolonging education, via grad school or taking longer to do an undergrad degree, also means that owning a car becomes more difficult.

Interestingly, car sharing services like Zipcar have been cited as an obstacle to car ownership, but is also seen as a more attractive alternative, meaning that the costs of car ownership, rather than driving itself, is what’s really bothering young people.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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