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ERIE, Pa. (Erie News Now) — According to the Federal Highway Administration, only 60% of 18-year-olds had a driver’s license in 2021. So why are teenagers not driving?
Tom Barilla, lead driving instructor at Transportation Solutions says a lot of it has to do with cell phone usage.
“Today, so many kids are not engaged with the art of driving and they are either watching something on the phone or texting,” Barilla said.
He said that when he was growing up and learning how to drive he would watch what his parents did, something teens today are not doing.
“Watching my parents was my introduction to driving and it was something I wanted to do someday so I would watch, learn, and start asking questions,” he said.
Apps on phones also have an impact on teens not wanting to drive.
“Part of the downtick in teen drivers wanting to learn to drive comes from the availability of apps like Uber and Lyft,” he said.
He also said that teens should want to learn how to drive because it has additional benefits other than just being able to go wherever you want to.
“The confidence that you get from being able to drive is second to none especially when you are young, it will change your life literally and figuratively,” he said.
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