Why are more teens putting the brakes on getting driver's licenses?

CHICAGO -- For decades, getting a driver's license has been a rite of passage for teenagers. However, new research shows a growing number of teens don't have the drive to drive.

"I didn't really care about getting my driver's license," Chris Sandoval said. She got her learner's permit at the age of 23, but still doesn't have a license.

A study by AAA found less than half of teens got their driver's license within a year of reaching the minimum age and just more than half get it by 18. A study by the University of Michigan looks at why they're not in a rush.

"They told us they were too busy or didn't have enough time to do it," Brandon Schoettle, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, said.

The studies also found the cost of vehicles, gas and insurance also have a lot to do with it. Plus, it's just easier to get around now in part because of car services like Uber.

While texting and social media are often associated with problems behind the wheel, it turns out they may also be part of the reason teens are less interested in driving.

"They have other ways of staying connected with their friends now," Peter Kissinger, president and CEO at AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said.

Experts say there are some risks to this trend. Most states have restrictions for 16- and 17-year old drivers that older first-time drivers get to avoid.

"Over the past decade we've seen teen driver deaths come down by almost 50-percent as a result primarily by those graduated driver licensing restrictions, so obviously were concerned if many of the teenagers wait to get their licenses and don't take advantages of the benefits," Kissinger said.

However, Sandoval said safety is one of the reasons she put the brakes on driving until her early 20s.

"Learning to drive and getting my license as an adult, I'm more conscious

because I understand the consequences of my actions," she said.