Fewer millennials are getting driver's licenses, but this trend may have started even before them.
According a study from the University of Michigan, there has been a decline in young Americans getting driver's licenses over the past three decades. The researchers looked at data on people getting licenses in 1983, 2009, 2011 and 2014. The results show a decline in people ages 16 to 44.
The study showed that from 1983 until 2014, there was a 47 percent drop in 16-year-olds having a driver's license. There was a drop of 16 percent for ages 20 to 24.
Among the reasons given: Too busy (37 percent), the cost of keeping up with a car (32 percent) and being able to hitch a ride with another person (31 percent).
The 2013 survey also revealed that most people were more interested in walking, riding a bike or taking public transportation. A concern for the environment and the ability to conduct business affairs online also were cited.
Drivers 70 and older are the only age group without a decline in having a license. The study found that people around that age in 2014 were more likely to have a license than those in 1983, jumping from 55 to 79 percent.
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