The clockspeed dilemma

Then again, once their children are a 

little older, parents are likely to show 

strong attraction to mobility options. 

We observed pronounced interest 

in our focus groups. It sounded 

something like, “I’m no longer the taxi 

driver. I get to recapture my life. I have 

more free time.” 

Here, too, our predictions could be 

understating parents’ attraction to 

mobility-on-demand for their children. 

Mobility-on-demand will be especially 

attractive for parents in the future. 

When they have children, they will 

hesitate less than their parents to use 

mobility-on-demand services.

Their almost-instant attraction to 

mobility services comes from a 

common concern they voiced in our 

focus groups from Atlanta to Chicago 

to Denver—sometimes in virtually 

the same language: With mobility 

services, “I don’t have to worry 

about taking the keys away from my 

dad, and I don’t have to worry about 

his driving.”

The 80 million‑plus 

millennials have 

grown up able to 

use technology 

easily and trusting 

in it.

The 10-to-15-year-olds

Children and the parents of children 

share the boomers’ interest in 

mobility-on-demand services but for 

different reasons. For the children, 

it’s all about freedom, the ability 

to meet up with friends, or go to 

movies, soccer games, softball, music 

lessons, or countless other activities 

without having to get their parents 

or someone else to drive. Relying 

on Uber? Via? Lyft? An autonomous 

vehicle in the future? No problem. 

They’ve grown up not only tech savvy 

but instinctively trusting in technology. 

Once they know of mobility options, 

they’ll leap to use them.

In fact, the only limitation on their use 

of mobility-on-demand services will be 

their parents, who are not about to put 

a six-year-old in a Lyft or Uber vehicle. 

85 plus

2014

2050

6.2

7.5

+ 20%

12.0

14.4

+ 20%

22.3

14.9

16.1

+ 9 % 

9.8

14.9

+ 51%

8.4

10.7

+ 28%

3.0

3.8

+ 28%

11.4

16.1

0–15

16–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–64

65–74

75–84

Note: (a) Discounted 25% from U.S. BTS total VMT for 1995, 2001, 2009, 2014 (assumed to be commercial miles), (b) Multiplied by NHTS occupancy rates applied 2009 

rate to 2014 numbers). Source: US BTS data, NHTS data, U.S. Census data, KPMG Analysis

U.S. personal miles traveled per capita

2014–2050, miles in thousands

14

© 2015 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International 

Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered 

trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International. NDPPS 404853

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MOBILITY OPTIONS

FOR SENIORS

CHICAGO

TOTAL

ATLANTA DENVER

79

%

OVERALL, 79% OF PEOPLE ASKED IN 

FOCUS GROUPS WOULD WANT 

MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR SENIORS 

MOBILITY OPTIONS

FOR KIDS

82

%

OVERALL, 82% OF 

PEOPLE ASKED IN 

FOCUS GROUPS 

WOULD WANT 

MOBILITY OPTIONS 

FOR KIDS 

92

%

64

%

82

%

79

%

TOTAL

DENVER

ATLANTA

CHICAGO

83

%

91

%

73

%

82

%

Focus group participants: 

Children

Arlene, 74 (Denver)

“For high-school-age kids, it might be a 

good thing because kids do crazy things, 

and I’m not sure we’re always available 

to pick them up. I’d be happy to pay a 

mobility-on-demand service rather than 

see them getting in a car with someone I 

didn’t know who might be drinking.”

Michelle, 38 (Atlanta)

“I have three children. My 16-year-old 

got a job. It was a nightmare. I felt like I 

was a taxi. I felt like she should be paying 

me for driving her around all the time. I 

don’t want to go out in my pajamas at 11 

o’clock at night to get her.”

Mary Anne, 37 (Atlanta)

“I have little ones, and when I think 

about the daily driving, it scares me. I’m 

getting sold on the whole mobility thing. 

I’m excited now to use it.”

Antoinette, 53 (Atlanta)

“When they get to that age, their social 

lives interfere with my social life. To 

have mobility-on-demand as an option 

is great.”

Nancy, 37 (Chicago)

“I’d be comfortable sending an 

eight-year-old in a mobility option. I was 

traveling on the train going to grandma’s 

house by myself at that age.”

Lesley, 56 (Chicago)

“I’d be comfortable with a six-year old, so 

long as they know what the address is 

and can say their name and know what’s 

going on. Kids are so smart these days. 

They’re using computers at five. The kids 

in my computer class in kindergarten, 

first, and second grade are sometimes 

far better with computers than my 

eighth graders.”

“Parents can be everywhere at the same time.”

Focus group results

Source: KPMG focus groups and analysis

The clockspeed dilemma      15

© 2015 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with 

KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through 

complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International. NDPPS 404853

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