Among the many myths about millennials is the idea that they’re not drivers. Well, that’s not quite true. Data from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants shows a rise in the number of Canadians aged 16 to 34 who are obtaining driver’s licenses.
But millennials are not driving cars as early as other generations and the reason might be partly financial, especially when it comes to car ownership.
According to Statistics Canada’s Cost of Living data from 2017, those between 17 and 24 earn an hourly wage that’s approximately 10 percent lower than in 1981. That could have something to do with it, in addition to any student debt they might carry.
[Caption: Data Source: DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc.]
So, why obtain a driver’s licence then? In additional to being a handy piece of identification, a licence is also part of a millennial’s transportation toolkit. This agile age group is more likely to use multi-modal options to get around, from hopping on a bike or a bus to ridesharing. And this could all occur in the same day, especially for urban dwellers.
Apps to the rescue
For transportation, more and more millennials look to their most reliable means to find a fix – technology. After all, they grew up with computers, personal digital devices and then smart phones.
In very recent history, auto rentals by the hour like Zipcar gave rise to app-based carpooling like Uber. Now there are new services like Turo and similar entrants that allow people to earn income on their own cars when not in use. Transit apps like the aptly-named Transit help transit users navigate transportation systems more efficiently, and include Uber in the mix. Bixi bikes are borrowed and returned on demand. All of these new options coexist with traditional players like auto rental companies, taxis, and the train.
According to Canadian research(i) that analyses transportation modes by different generations over time, Millennials are not so unlike previous generations; it seems what differs the most are the transportation options available today. Technology and the urban mobility landscape are ever-changing and integrating across modes and payment options.
Every generation has their challenges and their own ways of overcoming them. Millennials are a smart, quick-thinking and agile generation on many fronts, including getting from A to B and beyond.
[Caption: What’s a millennial, anyway? The precise dates that constitute any given “generation” are the subjects of disagreement; this timeline illustrates one interpretation.]
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