New York (dpa) - Fewer youngsters in the United States are getting their driver's license according to a study by American researchers who say the phenomenon has to do with the internet.
The number of 17- to 19-year-olds with a driver's license has dropped from 80 per cent to 60 per cent in the last 30 years, said scientists from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
Researchers compared internet usage and the number of driver's license holders in 15 countries - including the United States, Germany, Spain, Japan and Switzerland.
''We found that in countries with a higher level of internet usage the number of young drivers is lower,'' Michael Sivak, a co-author of the study, told dpa. ''This reflects that virtual contact through electronic media reduces the necessity for real contact in young people.''
Sivak said hard economic times are another reason for the drastic decrease in teenagers getting their driver's license in the United States as fewer teenagers can afford a car and petrol.
In addition, more young people are moving to bigger cities and using public transportation. Also, an increasing number of youngsters are more environmentally aware and therefore make do without a car.
source: mb.com.ph
