Number of Licensed Teen Drivers on the Rise

Kimberly Schwind AAA spoke to Gary Rivers Wednesday morning to address the growing number of teen drivers on the road.

A growing number of teens are obtaining their license before they turn 18, according to new research form the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. During National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 20-26), AAA will be working with state and community partners on events and legislation to help keep all teen drivers safe on Ohio’s roads.

The new AAA Foundation study surveyed young adults, ages 18-24 to determine when they obtained their license. Researchers found more than 60% of teens got their driver’s license before age 18, an 11% increase since 2012. Other findings show:

• Teens living in the Midwest tend to be licensed at younger ages, as 70% of Midwest teens obtained their license before age 18.
• Only half of teens in large cities obtained their license before age 18, compared with nearly two-thirds of those living in less urbanized areas.

In the most recent AAA Foundation survey, the top two reasons for delaying licensure include:

• Nervous about driving (68.4%)
• They could do everything they needed without driving (52.6%)

Hear the Interview with Kimberly Schwind