Ferris Bueller “borrowed” the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California of his friend Cameron’s father to go to Chicago because he wanted a day off from school. That’s one way to use your driver’s license—sightsee the wonders of Chicago, all the while missing school and not getting caught. Or, you can use it to get yourself to school. Bella Swan pulled up to her first day of school driving a Chevy pickup truck. However, if you’re looking for a little more adventure than Bella, but don’t want to be as rebellious as Ferris, you can follow the route of Regina George. After school, she drove herself and her friends to the mall to indulge in retail therapy, famously saying, “Get in loser, we’re going shopping.” 

From more independence to greater convenience, getting a driver’s license was seen as a “rite of passage” for many teenagers during the 80s, 90s, and 00s. It was an important transition to adulthood. Before, teens were reliant on their parents or public transportation as a way of getting themselves places. But with a driver’s license, hand on the wheel, foot on the pedal, teens could take themselves anywhere they wanted to go. This aspect of teen culture was reflected in movies. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Twilight (2008), and Mean Girls (2004) are only a few that illustrate the relevance of driving in teen life. However, these movies don’t seem to align with the attitudes of most teens nowadays.

The number of teens on the road has decreased in the last few decades. In 1997, 63.4% of 16–19 year olds drove. However, this number dropped to 33.1% by 2020. These changes are being seen not only nationally but also here at Great Neck South.

South High allows seniors to apply for a parking pass, which grants students their own parking spot for one semester. In order to get one, you have to attend the parking meetings: the first is in the beginning of the fall semester, and the second is in the spring. There are some other requirements too: you need to be at least 17, have attended driver’s education, and have a Class D driver’s license. From this, you are eligible to fill out the paperwork to get your pass. Only 71 spots are available.

Ms. Tara Schiereck, the Dean of Students who administers the parking passes, agrees that she’s seen a decrease in students reaching out to get their pass in the last few years. “I would say we had a total of around 40 kids drive in the fall,” she said. “There’s definitely empty spots.” Around 57% of the parking spots were filled in the first semester, but the lengthy system doesn’t seem to be the reason behind the fall.

In past years, the teacher that administered the parking passes needed to use a lottery system, where they would pick out of a hat to determine the students that got passes. This system was only used when there were more students applying for parking spots than there were spots available. However, this has only happened once since Ms. Schiereck has been working as a dean. She associates the decline with a number of linked reasons: the steep cost of cars, students’ lack of time, and driver’s ed. 

Cars are expensive. The cost of gas, repairs, maintenance, and insurance restricts parents who have to pay for these expenses, which ultimately limits student opportunity. Driver’s ed is another contributing factor to cost. Great Neck South offers driver’s ed through Bell Auto School, and the cost for each student is $645. Not only is it expensive for many students, but the time commitment often repels those who are willing to pay for it. Juniors and seniors are often swamped with schoolwork and extracurriculars, not leaving enough time. “When you take driver’s ed, it’s about commitment,” Ms. Shiereck said. “It’s kind of like taking a class—you’re allowed to miss one or two if you’re sick, but you can’t really miss it.”

Many students don’t have their driver’s license or parking pass, but there are more than a handful at Great Neck South that do. They have different motivations for getting it, including greater freedom, not having to rely on parents, and the ability to drive to school whenever they want. “A lot of seniors have their first period free, and they don’t want to take the bus to school,” Ms. Schiereck said. Knowing they can get behind the wheel gives them the chance to get in extra hours of sleep. 

But for some students, it can be even simpler than that. When asked about his motivation, senior Ben Dong had a simple response: “My mom said I needed to drive, and so I know how to drive now.”