Cost barriers for youth driving

 While many millennials are buying cars, employment experts say the cost of driving is still a barrier for young people which can potentially limit their job opportunities.

An employment consultant at St. Clair College said there are several factors preventing young people from driving. Cost tends to be the main issue.

Costs include gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs.

Wayne Riley, who worked in different roles in employment services for nearly 20 years, said the cost of buying a vehicle and insurance rates are major reasons why many young people are not driving.

Riley said youth may face difficulties in getting jobs when they do not drive. They are then limited to where they can work.

“Students without a licence would obviously not be able to get a job that requires a licence, or a job that is not on a bus route that they wouldn’t be able to get a reliable ride to and from,” Riley said.

Mohamed Al-Safadi, 18, is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Windsor. He said he planned to buy a car when he started university but there is no way he could find the money needed to own one.

He said driving is important for job opportunities and having an efficient mode of transportation is important.

“I do not have a job, so paying for everything that is required would be an obstacle preventing me from driving,” Al-Safadi said. “Driving would open up many jobs opportunities and would allow me to have a reliable source of transportation.”

Driving instructors also see young people struggle to own cars.

Milad Hammoud, a classroom instructor at Ace Driving School, has taught people driving for about 11 years in Windsor.

Ace Driving School instructors provide training services to young and new drivers and prepare them to drive strategically and obey laws and regulations, according to their website.

Hammoud said some young people who are taking driving lessons do not drive because they do not have the capability to own cars, but driving is important to getting jobs.

“It gives them a lot of independence, right, some jobs do require a driver’s licence to ensure you are arriving to work on time,” said Hammoud. “It gives them that sense of freedom and the ability to really have more opportunities to apply for different professions.”

According to a recent poll conducted by the Canadian Automobile Association, 67 per cent of Canadians do not know the average cost of owning a car for a year. The average cost is $3,300.

Drivers should not forget that some jobs may require a clean driver’s abstract as of proof of good driving history, according to the employment consultant Wayne Riley.