Younger Generations not interested in buying a car

[bjl584]

News Headlines

[disneysteve]

I've read a few articles about this and it has come up in some discussions here.

I think the whole technology thing is a big part of it. When I was 16, 17, 18, we entertained ourselves by getting together with our friends and going out and doing things. We went to the mall, the movie theater, the park, the shore. Today, teens entertain themselves by texting, playing Angry Birds and chatting with their friends on facebook or Skype. They shop online, stream movies, download music and more all without ever leaving their homes. Who needs a car?

As a society, there has also been a move back to the city. A couple of generations of a shift to the suburbs has been reversing in recent years. More urban dwellers means fewer cars. If you live in Manhattan or Boston or Philadelphia or Chicago, it is perfectly possible to get around without a car. When you need one, you just rent one for a day or two. I just had a rental this weekend (for a different reason) and it cost a whopping $19.99/day. I could definitely see a young person who lives in the city going carless and just renting one when they need one. It would be a whole lot cheaper and more convenient than owning.

[JoeP]

Is this going to turn into a situation where the younger people are going to opt out of car insurance, kind of like health insurance, and the insurance companies jack up the prices for the rest of us?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

It already is. Most of my single friends don't have cars and many who are married without kids in the city don't have cars still in their 30s. This is not a new generation thing just living in the city. Hence zipcar popularity.