3 more data points:

Neighbors son: Almost 18 hasn't even thought about getting one. No interest.
Other neighbors son: Was told he HAD to get one so they didn't need to drive him to different practices (baseball, etc), and so he could drive his sister to her practices.
Friends son: Only got one because his girlfriend begged him to.

Neither of my daughters seemed to be in a hurry to get their license.
Oldest (18 this Jan.) got hers about 3 monthes ago.

Youngest (17 this Feb.) took her test this summer but failed and seems to have lost interest
in trying again. Funny thing is I always thought she was the better driver.

Man, I really am divorced from reality. How in the world can teenagers not want the freedom to drive? Even if they're not car buffs, the car is the key to getting away from parents, the key to getting alone time with the bf or gf, the key to getting to and from work. I've never been so rich as when I had no bills at all, lived at home for free and got a decent paycheck. How can kids not want this? Even the spoiled brat kids I knew all had summer jobs. What's next? Teenage boys not wanting to get laid?

Maybe part of it is because they can't afford "cool" cars so they dont want to do it. I was fortunate that my dad fixed up the vehicle i was driving a bit so it wasn't quite so lame. I remember all the people in high school that could drive were always "popular" more so than ones that couldn't.

Our daughter couldn't wait to get her learners permit at 15. She saw freedom and having fun. We saw nightmares and heartburn, but all has turned out well. She'll be 17 in January and she's done well to date.

Our son just turned 15 and has just asked about getting his learners permit. I picked up the book just the other day, but he's yet to crack it or ask me to take him driving. He has ZERO interest in cars as well. :( It's a mode of transportation. :rolleyes:

I couldn't wait to drive a car when I was 16, being a car nut all my life and helping the kid across the street work on his corvair and Jeep for several years. I bought a 70 Triumph GT6+ and then a 69 TR6 by the time I was 17 or 18. Now, it seems what I consider to be a cool beater costs way to much, but they are sporty, comfortable, have power everything and cold AC.

The restrictions on driving at 16 are so cumbersome these days that I wouldn't bother either. I was driving a pick up on my grandparent's farm near Bakersfield at 14 by myself. That would be alone, no one else in the truck. But, there were no other cars to deal with either.

However, I didn't get a permit right away in the city. That was available in my day at age 15 1/2. I did get a license shortly after my 16th. No restrictions on a 16 YO license then.

Was I ready? Probably not, but I survived.

The lack of interest in driving correlates to some of the worst driving by young people I've ever seen.

Scary.

Maybe its because all the parents are "friends" and not some totalitarian regime that they wish to avoid?

Technology, as mentioned, also helps.. go lock yourself in your room and live your virtual life without the hassles of actually being "independent".

AS the link mentioned above, AW has covered this pretty well too.

What is a potential interesting corralation is that the Graduated license is often only for the 16-18 crowd. once you are 19 or so, its a full regular license. So did the GL scare off folks and now we have an OLDER, less experienced first time driver who now can drive WITHOUT restriction. Insurance companies will let us know for sure ;)

Money can be an issue.. but I am sure more parents would rather make a $150-200/mo lease payment on a new "safe" car for Johnnie or Suzie than make them earn the money to drive a 10-20 year old beater.

Then again, with the recent "google car" announcement, kids soon won't know that some people actually drove for enjoyment

BTW, I was expecting a much different thread........ ;) :D

mm.. chalk up another one for the kid I mentioned above...:rolleyes:

Or without plans for retirement.
Seriously, not only did the boomers eff over the economy, but now they think they can be smart and work through retirement - nevermind the jobs they're keeping from the younger people.

The teenagers I know don't care about cars or driving... They view driving as a necessity to get where they want to go, but they don't understand why I enjoy driving my cars... When I was their age, I loved cars... still do!!

6 years removed, I didn't know a single person who wasn't dying to get their license.

A friend at work finally convinced his son who is 17 1/2 to get his license. I just do not get kids these days. I have a shop full of airplanes, dirt bikes, Porsches, guns, snowmobiles, ATVs etc and NONE of my teen daughter's boyfriends through their high school and now college years have ever shown ANY interest in any of my toys. A generation of facebooking, cell phone texting sissys if you ask me.

My daughters are far more interested in cars, motorcycles, guns etc than any of the teen boys that have visited our home over the last ten years. When I was that age, I lived for cars, bikes or anything with an engine.... bizarre.

fu.

At 16, my focus was not where I went with my car... it was what got done while in the car.... :)

May be if they bring back Auto Shop that will spark some interest in kids on driving or cars in general. Young boys are suppose to buy a piece of crap and try and get it fix in Auto Shop so they can go hot rodding aroung school like us normal punks back in the old days. Instead, more useless computer classes and texting.

Too bad you are so far away... I would gladly chase your daughters! I'm still trying to find a girl that shows half an interest in cars...

My son is 10. He has been asking how you shift and drive since he was 5. Hubby is considering introducing him to go carting racing at about 12/14. I don't really get the no desire to drive or get license.