Fewer Teens Getting Driver’s Licenses Thanks to Facebook
Posted in Auto Insurance
January 28th, 2010
A new report from KIAH-TV in Houston revealed that more teens might be waiting to obtain their driver’s licenses because they can so easily communicate on Facebook. This is good news for parents who want to avoid high insurance bills – and maybe even drivers on the road who want to avoid reckless drivers.
Driving Not Necessary to Teens
According to the report, more teens are taking their time getting their driver’s licenses than ever before. The report cited a study from the Department of Transportation that suggested nearly 30 percent of 16-year-olds nationwide got their license in 2008, as compared to nearly 45 percent in 1998.
A 20-year-old interviewed by KIAH-TV who had just received her license explained that Facebook made it so easy to connect with her friends that it was no longer necessary to visit them. Along with Facebook, some teens say that having a cell phone is more important to them than a car.
Good for Your Auto Insurance
Not to say that all teens are in danger of causing an accident, but tons of studies – and even auto insurance companies – deem younger drivers as a bigger threat on the road. This is why auto insurance premiums are so much higher for drivers under the age of 25.
The fact that many teens are waiting longer to could help keep the roads safer while helping to maintain low premiums for both their parents and other drivers on the road who could have run into them.
That’s pretty interesting – my sister is 18 – and she just got her driver’s license – she could have gotten her license at 16 but she wanted to wait. I think it has more to do with how hard it is for teens to get driver’s licenses now than because of facebook.
[...] most people are typically not thrilled about the idea of retaking their drivers test after first acquiring a license in their teens, individuals surveyed agreed that a person should be required to retake the test once they reach [...]