Decreasing popularity of the car? Changes in driving licence and access to a car among young adults over a 25-year period in Norway

Randi Hjorthol

Journal of Transport Geography, 2016, vol. 51, issue C, 140-146

Abstract: The general impression that car-use has reached a peak or the orientation to have a car has stagnated in several Western countries has been associated with young people being less interested in obtaining a driving licence and getting a car. Examination of public statistics and of data from Norwegian National Travel Surveys indicates that the percentage of young people acquiring a driving licence fell during the 1990s and has been stagnating since the start of the year 2000. Over a 25-year period, we find that young people living outside large cities have a car(s) in the household; they are in paid work and are married/cohabiting. They have a driving licence to a much greater degree than those who live in cities and have good access to public transport; they are students and not married/cohabiting. In the same 25-year period we have seen a higher percentage of young people living in the larger cities, spending longer on education and delaying establishing a family. Our cohort analyses indicate that young cohorts/generations defer from obtaining a driving licence. At age 30years the proportion of licence holders has been around 90%, but analysis of young cohorts from 2001 to 2009 shows that this figure is declining.

Keywords: Driving licence; Young people; Cohort analysis; Development; Norway (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:51:y:2016:i:c:p:140-146

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2015.12.006

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