Report: Social Media Contributing to Decline in Car Ownership

A new report by U.S PIRG is linking a decline in car ownership among young people to smart-phone enabled sharing services, like car sharing and bike sharing.  Young people are getting licenses later and later, and buying cars less and less often. 

In its report, "A New Way To Go" U.S. PIRG says the market penetration of smart-phones, coupled with their rapid adoption by younger consumers, has contributed to a shift in the ways young people get around.

"I used to think of ride share and car share as just another form of driving, but now its another mode," the study's author, Phineas Baxandall, told TN in a phone interview.

"Social media means people can do things other than drive. If you don't have these systems, you rely on a car. Once you've bought the second car, you're going to use it. But users of car sharing have decided they can forgo another car, or they sold their car."

Full report, here.