Smaller Share of Teenagers Have a Driver's License in 2010

In the 1980's, more than half of all teenagers 15 to 19 years old had a driver's license. But that has changed. Since 1995, less than half of that age group has a driver's license. In 2010, the latest year for which data are available, only 45.3% of 15 to 19 year-olds had a license. There are many different reasons that this has happened. Some states have placed more stringent requirements on those applying for a license. For example, the State of Tennessee requires anyone less than 18 years of age to provide proof that they are currently attending school in order to obtain a driver's license. Among other reasons, the connectivity of the Internet may give teens less of an incentive to pursue a license, or the high costs of operating a vehicle may be prohibitive, thus obtaining a license is delayed.