There are slightly more licensed drivers on New Jersey's roadways today than there were in 1997. From 1997 to 2004, the number of licensed drivers grew by just over 220,000, a growth of only 4 percent.
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Source: FHWA. Highway Statistics Series, Table DL-22, 1997-2004. |
As a percentage of the total population, licensed drivers declined from 69.2 percent to 66.7 percent, a drop of nearly 4 percent.
Surprisingly, the largest drop was for drivers aged 25 to 44. In 1997, 93.6 percent of New Jersey residents in this age group held a drivers license. That fell to 88.6 percent by 2004.
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Source: FHWA. Highway Statistics Series, Table DL-22, 1997-2004. |
When asked about this data, Department of Motor Vehicles officials suggested that New Jersey’s phased licensing system in which driving privileges are extended gradually to applicants under 21 years, explained the drop in licensed drivers. This new licensing system, which was implemented in 2001, also raised the basic driver license age from 17 to 18 years. The Campaign’s analysis refutes this hypothesis, though no obvious explanation presents itself in the data.