Study: Young deterred from driving by license laws

SAN FRANCISCO — Like, duh.

That MTV survey that looked at whether Millennials are indeed interested in cars (they are!) came up with an obvious reason why so many aren't in a rush to get their driver's licenses: restrictions imposed on teens in the past couple of decades that limit their driving.

The finding helps explain a conundrum in the MTV study: Since the study found that Millennials show basically the same interest in driving and view cars as a ticket to freedom just like past generations, how does that finding fit with the phenomenon that so few start to drive as soon as they hit age 16 or 17?

Unlike past generations that could generally apply for an unrestricted driver's license at age 16 or even younger, today's young drivers face a raft of restrictions in virtually every state since 1990. New Jersey, for example, requires drivers under age 21 to display a bright reflectorized sticker on the front and rear license plates of any car they are driving so that police and other drivers know instantly whether a young driver is behind the wheel.

In general, the restrictions limit the hours in which the young can drive, don't allow them to take their friends along or add other limitations. Before 1990, teens could drive and obtain licenses as easily as adults.

"That's a huge deal," says Berj Kazanjian, senior vice president for ad research for MTV, at a news conference here at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention to release the findings. While that laws are generally considered good because of their intent to reduce teen accidents and save lives, they do deter teens from wanting to start driving before they head off to college. And in college, many, if not most, won't need to drive anyway. They'll be car-free until they graduate and land a job.

The survey found 70% of Millennials enjoy driving, 75% couldn't do without their car and 90% equate freedom to cars. "They really love cars," Kazanjian says.