Answer: 54%

Questions:

• Did you get/plan to get your driver's license before you turned 18? 
• At what age do you think it is important to have a driver's license? Explain. 
• Did you/will you use a driving school to learn how to drive? How much did it cost? 

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (from Pacific Standard): 

Nationwide, delays in obtaining a license are widespread, according to a 2013 study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. According to the study, just 54 percent of teens are licensed before they turn 18, and only 44 percent of teens obtain a driver's license within the first 12 months of their being eligible to do so. In Michigan the number of younger drivers is even lower: In 2012, only 34 percent of teens younger than 16 had their license, and that percentage has remained consistent since.

• Audio Resource from Marketplace: The sticker shock of driver's ed may keep some teens from driving

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Want a great way for students to understand the basics of auto insurance? Here's an NGPF activity that serves that purpose, Read: A Car Insurance Policy

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.