Survey: 1 in 10 Drivers Don’t Know Rules of the Road

A survey by GMAC Insurance shows that one in 10 drivers would fail a state driver’s test if they had to take on today.

Published June 08, 2005

Think you’re a good driver? How about your employees? According to a recent survey by GMAC Insurance, one in 10 U.S. drivers would fail a state driver’s test if they had to take one today. In the Eastern U.S., the failure rate doubles.

DRIVER'S TEST: HOW DID YOUR STATE SCORE?

    GMAC Insurance recently surveyed 5,000 licensed drivers on how well they know the rules of the road. Below are the average scores of drivers in each state. How did your state rank? Could you and your employees pass the test? Beat the national or state average? Let Lawn & Landscape know how your company approaches driver safety by visiting the Lawn & Landscape Online Message Board and sharing your safety tips and tricks. Or, e-mail Web Editor Lauren Spiers at lspiers@gie.net to include your tips in an article on Lawn & Landscape Online.

    Rank State Score/
    -- Nation 82.7
    1 Oregon 89.4
    2 Washington 88.4
    3 Iowa 87.7
    4 Idaho 87.5
    5 Wyoming 87.4
    6 Vermont 86.6
    7 Nebraska 86.5
    8 Wisconsin 86.3
    9 Montana 86.2
    9 West Virginia 86.2
    11 Minnesota 86.1
    12 North Dakota 85.6
    13 North Carolina 85.2
    14 Indiana 85.1
    15 Alabama 84.7
    15 Virginia 84.7
    15 Nevada 84.7
    15 Missouri 84.7
    19 Ohio 84.3
    19 South Dakota 84.3
    21 Colorado 84.2
    22 Kansas 84.0
    23 Michigan 83.8
    24 New Hampshire 83.7
    25 Tennessee 83.4
    26 Maine 83.2
    27 Arkansas 83.1
    27 South Carolina 83.1
    29 Georgia 82.9
    29 New Mexico 82.9
    31 Oklahoma 82.8
    32 Texas 82.7
    33 Utah 82.6
    33 Arizona 82.6
    35 Mississippi 82.5
    35 Delaware 82.5
    35 Kentucky 82.5
    38 Pennsylvania 82.1
    39 Louisiana 81.7
    40 Illinois 81.6
    41 Florida 81.1
    42 Connecticut 80.9
    43 California 80.4
    44 Maryland 79.8
    44 Washington, D.C. 79.8

    Source: CNN Money.com

The GMAC Insurance, part of General Motors’ finance subsidiary, GMAC, administered a 20-question written test to 5,000 licensed drivers between the ages of 16 and 65. The test covered basic knowledge about traffic laws and safety and also covered the respondents’ general driving habits. Younger drivers are the most likely to fail a written driving test while those between the ages of 50 and 64 are the most likely to pass.

According to the survey results, drivers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic did the worst with 20 percent of respondents failing the test. Drivers in Rhode Island were the worst off, with an average test score of 77 – only eight points above a failing grade. Drivers in Massachusetts were second worst, followed by New Jersey. (See each state's scores in the table at right.)

On the other coast, Oregon and Washignton drivers showed that they knew the rules of the road best. In Oregon, the average test score was 89.
 
According to the study, many drivers find basic practices, such as merging and interpreting road signs, difficult. For instance, one out of five drivers doesn't know that a pedestrian in a crosswalk has the right of way, and one out of three drivers speeds up to make a yellow light, even when pedestrians are present, the study said.

Drivers not only lack basic road knowledge, but exhibit dangerous driving behavior as well.

"As a nation of drivers, we've made little progress in the past 10 years to curb some of the most dangerous driving behaviors, including drinking and driving and speeding," said Susan Ferguson, senior vice president of research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in an article by CNNMoney.com

The CNN Money article notes that one out of 10 drivers regularly exceeds the speed limit by 11 or more miles per hour, with drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 showing the greatest propensity for speeding, the study said.

No more results found.
No more results found.