"I get rides and stuff, so I’m not worried about it. I’ll get around to it, maybe this summer sometime."

These days less than a third of 16-year-olds get their drivers licenses as soon as they can. Surprising. Is it that it's too much trouble? Are kids these days less interested in independence? Does driving no longer symbolize independence the way it did back in the golden age of driving? (Was there a golden age of driving?)

Many more theories about the decline listed at the link — fearfulness among parents and their kids, lack of driver education classes in school, the expenses of driving...

Not listed (though the article is in the NYT): Kids are concerned about the environment! Why can't it be considered a good thing?