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For some reason, people thought that Millennials weren't driving and didn't like cars. Now, as any generation will tell you, a car represents freedom for young people. No longer needing to bum or ride, wait for parents, or find public transportation, a car allows you to go where you want on your schedule.
But a recent study showed that young Americans were driving less in 2009 than in 2001, and it was then concluded that Millennials didn't care about driving or cars.
Let's take a quick look at why they may have been driving less and why it's not the end of the world.
The number of 18 to 24-year-olds enrolled in college rose from 36% in 2001 to 42% in 2011. You know what's a luxury to most college students? A car. And considering the urban location of many colleges, owning a car would likely be a headache for students.
Without the need for the added costs of a car, statistics were sure to show young people driving less and less.
While the economy is improving, young people entering the workforce were hit really hard after the recession. Competition for entry-level jobs was at an all-time high and with less work, Millennials couldn't afford the extra expenses associated with driving.
One of the biggest expenses associated with driving is gas, and for Millennials, that likely broke the bank.
At $3 to $5 per gallon, gas prices not only had an effect on the driving habits of young people, but most of the American workforce as well.
Nicknamed the "Boomerang Generation," a good percentage of young people are returning home after college. This likely means they're sharing cars with parents or driving less than they otherwise would if they had to fend for themselves.
This topic is the subject of many debates, but what's really clear from the data is that MOST people drove less in 2009 compared to 2001.
An MTV study also recently found that 72% of Millennials would rather give up texting for a week than give up their car. It also found that 8 in 10 use a car as their major mode of transport.
To put the icing on the cake, 3 in 4 said that their cars reflect their personalities. So a car isn't just a car to Millennials after all, it's actually a possession they hold sacred.