The car is driving less youth: RACV

A driver’s licence once the feat of adulthood - is losing favour among young people in Victoria with an 18 per cent decrease in the average licensing rate for those aged 18 to 24 years.

New research by RACV shows that 18year-olds have the lowest licensing rate in 16 years* at 39.6 per cent - down from just over 50 per cent.

“Our research indicates that overall, fewer young adults are getting their licences than ever before, and those who are going for the test are of an older age,” said Bryce Prosser, RACV’s General Manager of Public Policy and Corporate Affairs.

However, while there has been a decrease in young drivers obtaining a licence since 2011 in the Greater Melbourne area, there have been increases in rural areas overall, with the exception of regional centres.

“What is clear from our research is that there is a great disparity between metropolitan and regional areas when it comes to young adults getting their licences.

“In metropolitan areas, younger people are depending less on cars, and are using alternate means of transport such as trains, trams, buses and bikes; while in regional areas, the car is still the most popular mode, however there are often also fewer alternatives for getting from A to B,” said Mr Prosser.

Males are also more likely to hold a driver’s licence than females in the 18 to 24 year range - a statistic which continues in the latest revision of this report, despite the fact that females are catching up with males when it comes to passing their driving test, according to VicRoads.

The Licensing Trends Report reveals the importance of RACV’s traditional advocacy work in the roads space, while expanding into new areas of mobility.

*RACV records on this topic began in 2001.