Young Adult Licensing Trends - 2017 Update

Abstract

Declines in the proportions of young adults with driver licences have been reported in several countries. This study provides an update to a previous study of such trends in Victoria, Australia by Bailey et al. (2015). It was found in the present study that, for the years 2001 to 2016, there has been an overall 18% decrease in young Victorian adults aged 18 to 24 holding a driver licence. In 2016, over a third (37%) of Victorian adults aged 18 to 24 did not hold a driver licence. Licensing rates among Victorians in the 25 to 29 age group have also declined but to a lesser extent than those aged 18 to 24. With respect to gender, for the years 2014 to 2016, fewer males aged 18 to 24 were licensed (66%) than males aged 25 to 29 (87%). Fewer females than males were licensed in these two age groups (62% and 79%, respectively). For those aged 18 to 24, licensing rates for the Greater Melbourne area declined by 4% from 2011 to 2016, while licensing rates in rural areas increased by 4.7%. Licensing rates in Victorian regional centres remained stable over time but those aged 21 to 24 became increasingly more likely to be licensed while those aged 18 to 20 became less likely. It may be that young adults living in Victorian regional centres are taking longer to obtain a licence, or are intentionally delaying obtaining one. Overall, those living in the Greater Melbourne area or regional centres are less likely to be licensed than those dwelling in the remainder of Victoria, possibly due to the greater availability of alternative transport modes.