Survey: Driving Stresses 93% of Gen Zers, but Most Still Aren’t Ready to Rely on Self-Driving Cars

Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z said they don’t want or trust self-driving cars, but one-third could become believers.

Julia Taliesin
Written byJulia Taliesin
Julia Taliesin
Julia TaliesinData Journalist

Julia Taliesin is an insurance content writer at Insurify. She began her career as a journalist, covering local government and business in Somerville, Mass.

Tanveen Vohra
Edited byTanveen Vohra
Tanveen Vohra
Tanveen VohraManager of Content and Communications
  • Property and casualty insurance specialist

  • 4+ years creating insurance content

Tanveen manages Insurify's data insights, annual home and auto insurance reports, and media communications. She’s regularly featured in media interviews on insurance topics.

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Gen Z may be the most climate-conscious and technologically literate generation yet, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to invest their hard-earned money in the latest vehicle tech.

When it comes to driving and car ownership, Gen Zers are prioritizing their finances over self-driving technology and sustainability, according to a recent Insurify survey of 1,002 Americans ages 22 to 28. While 93% of Gen Z drivers find driving stressful, and 68% report some texting-related distracted driving behavior, nearly two-thirds aren’t ready to let technology take the wheel.

Self-driving cars aren’t the only driving technology Gen Zers could forgo in the future.

Three-quarters of respondents report owning or leasing a car, but nearly half of surveyed Gen Zers say the elimination of the EV tax credit will affect whether they buy an EV. The oldest Gen Zer is just 28, but the generation is the second-biggest adopter of EVs behind millennials, according to Insurify’s database of more than 97 million insurance quotes.

That trend could change without the tax incentive.

Key findings

  • More than a quarter (26%) of Gen Z don’t like the idea of giving control of their vehicle to technology. Just 17% said they’d buy a self-driving vehicle if they had the option, and 7% said they dislike driving and would be happy to have one.

  • Gen Z drivers pay an average of $3,349 per year for car insurance for a gas-powered vehicle, according to Insurify data. For EVs, it’s more costly: Gen Z drivers pay an annual average of $5,328 to insure an EV.

  • Just 32% of surveyed Gen Z drivers forgo interacting with a text while driving, despite state laws banning texting and driving, as well as many studies showing the dangers of interacting with a text while behind the wheel.

Reckless drivers cause stress for 59% of Gen Z drivers, but 68% admit to distracted driving

Nearly all Gen Z drivers (93%) surveyed report experiencing driving-related stress. Reckless drivers are the leading cause of driving stress, respondents said.

Gen Z’s driving anxieties are well-founded. In 2023, 3,275 people died and another 324,819 people were injured in crashes involving distracted driving, according to a 2025 NHTSA report.[1] The year before, 13,524 people died due to reckless driving, specifically alcohol-impaired driving crashes, according to a 2024 NHTSA report.[2]

The Gen Z age group made up a significant share of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes, NHTSA data shows. In 2023, 21% of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes were 15 to 24 years old, and 23% were 25 to 34.

Despite reckless driving being the top concern for Gen Zers, 68% admit to some form of distracted driving related to texting. This dichotomy could partly stem from Gen Z’s familiarity with technology.

The advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in today’s vehicles aim to increase road safety by providing warnings or automating actions. But unintentionally, they’ve made drivers more comfortable multitasking or engaging in distracted driving behavior, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found.[3]

Of those who said they’d respond to a text message while driving based on urgency, 52% reported reckless drivers as a stressor. And 40% reported they fear the possibility of hurting someone else while driving.

Gen Z drivers are engaging in the behaviors they fear, according to a report from Cambridge Mobile Telematics. The company, which provides telematics technology to many top auto insurers, found that 30.6% of drivers aged 18 to 29 admitted to using FaceTime while driving — 68% higher than the general population.

Distracted drivers aren’t necessarily all reckless drivers, but “distracted driving is dangerous,” according to NHTSA. Nearly every state bans texting while driving, and many have hands-free phone laws.[4]

Despite Gen Zers’ preference for multitasking while driving, most still aren’t ready to give up control to a self-driving car. ADAS may make drivers more comfortable answering a text, but the survey suggests that Gen Z appreciates a human being driving a car over an autonomous vehicle.

62% of Gen Z aren’t ready to let technology do the driving

Advocates have often named road safety a major benefit of fully automated vehicles.[5] Still, several reports — including recent news about Tesla’s robotaxi launch — suggest that individually owned self-driving cars are far from being a safe and reliable option.

Gen Zers are watching and waiting. More than a third (36%) said they don’t know enough about self-driving cars or are waiting to see how safe they are. A quarter (26%) said they don’t like the idea of giving over control of their vehicles to technology.

One respondent noted that self-driving cars “have a lot of flaws,” while another said they “don’t like that someone can hack them if they want to.” Still, many survey respondents said they’d buy one if they had the option (17%) or dislike driving and would be happy to have a self-driving car (7%).

The survey shows that Gen Z’s sentiment about self-driving cars varies by state. Gen Zers in New York, Georgia, and Florida were most likely to say they would buy a self-driving car if they had the option, though many were still skeptical. Unfortunately for New Yorkers, autonomous vehicles are illegal statewide, but a bill before the New York Senate could change that.[6]

Some states are seeing more self-driving vehicle action than others. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has been operating Waymo rides in Phoenix, Arizona, since 2018 and has expanded to San Francisco and Los Angeles in California, Atlanta, Georgia, and Austin, Texas. Waymo is also seeking a permit to begin testing rides in New York City with a human driver still behind the wheel.

Several incidents have already accompanied Tesla’s robotaxi rollout in Austin, prompting regulators to contact the automaker.[7]

44% of Gen Z say the elimination of the EV tax credit will affect their decision to buy an EV

Climate consciousness is one of Gen Z’s core values, according to a report from McKinsey & Company.[8] But Gen Z is also living in a time of rising inflation and a high student loan debt burden. An analysis of Insurify’s proprietary database of more than 97 million auto insurance quotes shows Gen Z already makes up 25% of EV drivers, second behind Millennials’ 41%. But, like other generations, Gen Zers prioritize financial stability over sustainability.

On July 4, Congress passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes eliminating the EV tax credit. Until it ends on Sept. 30, 2025, EV buyers can still save up to $7,500 on a new EV or $4,000 on a used EV. The survey suggests eliminating the tax credit will influence whether Gen Z chooses an EV over a gas-powered car. Nearly half (44%) of surveyed Gen Z said ending the EV tax credit would affect their intention to buy or lease an EV.

This includes 18% of Gen Z who said they would reconsider getting an EV due to the increased cost without the tax credit, and 11% who said they would not buy an EV without the tax credit. More than a quarter (28%) said eliminating the tax credit won’t affect their decision because they never intended to drive an EV, and 13% said it won’t affect their decision. Around 14% said they can’t afford an EV with or without the tax credit.

Gen Z sentiment varies somewhat by region. Gen Zers in the Northeast (48%) and West (46%) regions are more likely than those in the Midwest (38%) and South (41%) to say eliminating the tax credit will affect their decision to buy an EV. The EV adoption rate may have something to do with that. Vermont, New Jersey, and New York, as well as California, Washington, and Oregon, were among the top 10 states with the highest share of EVs among registered vehicles, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.[9]

Still, EVs aren’t among the top 10, or even 15, most popular vehicles for Gen Z drivers, according to Insurify data. The Tesla Model 3 ranks in the top 30, and the Model Y ranks in the top 75. The three most popular cars among Gen Z drivers are the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry, according to Insurify data. All three have hybrid variations and are compact and fuel-efficient with a relatively low retail price, further showing Gen Z’s value for affordability and sustainability.

The average price of a new EV has fallen recently. But in May, the average cost of Tesla’s bestselling Model Y was still about $5,000 higher than the industry average of $48,799 for new cars, according to Cox Automotive.[10] Losing the EV tax credit means consumers would shoulder that extra cost.

Car insurance will also add to the bottom line. The average annual cost of insuring an EV is $5,328 for Gen Z, almost $2,000 higher than it costs to insure a gas-powered car. EV owners have options for reducing their costs, like frequently comparing car insurance to find the best price and installing charging ports at home.

Tips: How Gen Z drivers can be smarter and safer on the road

Gen Zers are digital natives and generally early adopters of new technology. But the survey results suggest that Gen Z prioritizes financial stability while keeping an eye on auto innovations.

Gen Z may still be waiting for self-driving cars to receive clean safety reports, but they can embrace the advanced driver assistance systems in newer vehicles that monitor blind spots and brake automatically. Learning to use these features while understanding their limits could help prepare a generation of drivers for the eventual mass rollout of autonomous vehicles.

A study on Waymo’s autonomous vehicles shows they may be much cheaper to insure since tests resulted in a significant reduction in property damage and bodily injury claims compared to human-driven vehicles.[11] Still, it could be a while before individually owned self-driving cars demonstrate a lower risk level.

“If self-driving cars are shown to reduce risk and we’re able to work that into insurance models, it could possibly reduce insurance costs,” said Mallory Mooney, Insurify’s director of sales and service. “But, if what we’ve seen with vehicles like Tesla, where it’s not mitigating risk and the car’s technology is increasing the cost to repair it, then it could increase auto insurance costs.”

The basics matter, too. Choosing cars with good safety ratings, keeping vehicles in good shape, and practicing safe driving habits will save Gen Z hassle and money on costly repairs and high insurance premiums.

“Gen Z is still young, and young drivers are the highest-risk demographic and have higher car insurance premiums because of it,” said Daniel Lucas, carrier relations manager at Insurify. “An unattractive way to lower premiums is to purchase a low-risk car. Tying a high-risk driver to a high-risk car can get astronomical premiums. Some of the highest premiums I have seen have been for younger drivers in a Tesla. The way to counter that is to have younger drivers in very pedestrian vehicles.”

For Gen Zers who want to purchase an EV even without the tax credit, comparing car insurance quotes and looking into usage-based insurance can help lower costs.

“Some insurance companies are moving towards connectivity in smart cars and could be an option for younger, tech-savvy drivers to check out,” Lucas said. “Their smartphone connects to their vehicle and reports their good driving back to the insurance company.”

Since the survey suggests affordability is a leading value for Gen Z, buying a budget-friendly car and driving it carefully are two of the best ways Gen Z drivers can save money. Even though technological advancements have already brought some versions of self-driving cars to the streets, it may be a while before a driver can safely be asleep at the wheel.

Methodology

The proprietary data featured in this study comes from an online survey that Insurify commissioned. The survey respondents comprised 1,002 U.S. residents between 22 and 28 years old. Respondents answered up to 20 questions about their views on driver status, self-driving cars, texting while driving, EVs, and driving stressors, among other topics. The survey fieldwork took place from June 4 to June 5, 2025.

Insurify’s team of data scientists examined more than 97 million rates in its proprietary database, quoted via integrations with partnering insurance companies, to determine average car insurance rates for gas-powered cars and EVs and the most popular vehicle models for drivers between 22 and 28 years old. Rates reflect the average annual cost of a full-coverage car insurance policy (up to $50,000 bodily injury coverage per person and $100,000 per accident; a $50,000 property damage limit; and $1,000 deductible for both comprehensive and collision coverage) for a driver with a clean driving record and average or better credit. To determine how many drivers from each generation own an EV, data scientists reviewed all drivers in each age cohort without limiting for driver history or credit score.

For media inquiries or questions about our study, please contact the author here.

Sources

  1. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. "Distracted Driving in 2023."
  2. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. "Alcohol-Impaired Driving."
  3. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). "Drivers quickly learn to skirt limits set by partial automation systems."
  4. Governors Highway Safety Association. "Distracted Driving."
  5. Alliance for Automotive Innovation. "BENEFITS OF AUTOMATED VEHICLES (AVS)."
  6. The New York State Senate. "Assembly Bill A3650 | Relates to autonomous vehicle driving."
  7. BBC. "US safety regulators contact Tesla over erratic robotaxis."
  8. McKinsey & Company. "What is Gen Z?."
  9. U.S. Department of Energy. "Vehicle Registration Counts by State."
  10. Cox Automotive. "Kelley Blue Book Report: New-Vehicle Prices Hold Steady in May, As Automakers and Dealers Work To Offset Tariff-Driven Cost Increases."
  11. Waymo. "Do Autonomous Vehicles Outperform Latest-Generation Human-Driven Vehicles? A Comparison to Waymo's Auto Liability Insurance Claims at 25 Million Miles."
Julia Taliesin
Julia TaliesinData Journalist

Julia Taliesin is a data journalist at Insurify. She began her career as a journalist, covering local government and business in Somerville, Mass. She reported multiple investigative stories about municipal finances and budget allocation, building development and inspection, and personnel. When the pandemic began she became a de facto public health reporter, writing daily and weekly reports using available data to quickly communicate rates of infection and city response.

She's worked for print and digital outlets, writing everything from quick-hit breaking news to long-form community features. More recently, Julia managed content strategy at a startup creating a social platform for licensed nurses, overseeing a team of nurse freelancers and editing interview transcripts and news articles for publication.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in communications from Simmons University, with a focus in journalism. Outside of work, Julia enjoys working on crafting projects, learning about homesteading, and singing in cover bands.

Tanveen Vohra
Edited byTanveen VohraManager of Content and Communications
Tanveen Vohra
Tanveen VohraManager of Content and Communications
  • Property and casualty insurance specialist

  • 4+ years creating insurance content

Tanveen manages Insurify's data insights, annual home and auto insurance reports, and media communications. She’s regularly featured in media interviews on insurance topics.

Featured in

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