Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said his son has not pursued a driver’s license, despite viewing licensing as a goal tied to freedom. He linked Gen Z’s preference for rideshare to reduced pressure to own cars and noted that rideshare convenience is affecting car ownership. U.S. data shows the share of 18-year-olds with driver’s licenses fell from 80% in 1983 to 60% in 2022, and the share among 16-year-olds dropped by more than a quarter since 2000. A 2013 University of Michigan study found many adults without licenses cited time constraints, high vehicle costs, and reliance on rides from others. Increased urbanization may also play a role, and Uber has expanded teen-focused travel options with teen accounts.
"“This drives me crazy,” Khosrowshahi said. “My son is over 18... I'm still trying to get my son to get his driver's license, but Uber's freed him up.”"
"According to Khosrowshahi, the convenience of rideshare for the younger generation is “absolutely having an effect on car ownership.” Indeed, from 1983 to 2022, the number of 18-year-olds with driver's licenses in the U.S. decreased from 80% to 60%, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. Since 2000, that share among 16-year-olds has dropped by more than a quarter."
"A 2013 study by the University of Michigan surveying 618 adults without driver's licenses found 37% of respondents were too busy to get a license, while 32% said vehicle ownership and maintenance were too expensive. About one-third said they get rides from other people. Khosrowshahi speculated that increased urbanization could also be a contributing factor to Gen Z's rideshare preference."
"“My parents put a lot of pressure on me to get one,” one 24-year-old in Philadelphia previously told the Washington Post in 2023. “But I haven't needed one to this point. If there's an emergency, I'll call an Uber or 911.”"
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]