Nearly a third of people cannot drive. This reality encompasses individuals with various disabilities—physical, sensory, mental health, and chronic health conditions—that make driving unsafe. Additionally, there are those who are too young to drive, cannot afford it, or do not know how to drive, including immigrants from countries where driving is not integral to notions of adulthood. Furthermore, 35 percent of women over the age of 75 do not drive.
When children cannot safely or comfortably reach destinations on their own, the responsibility often falls on mothers, consuming their afternoons and weekends. Not all families have the resources or flexibility for this chauffeuring. Research by Rutgers Professor Dr. Kelcie Ralph found that young adults from families without a car completed less education, had lower incomes, and faced more unemployment than peers from families with consistent car access—even when controlling for family wealth, residential location, family composition, and race. Car dependency negatively impacts both families with car access and those without.
