How Well Do YOU Know the Rules of the ROAD???

A recent national driving IQ test has proven that “all drivers need a refresher course when it comes to rules of the road”.

Even though the average score of drivers increased from 76.2 percent in 2010 to 77.9 percent this year, results still suggest that a large number of people on the road still don’t know basic driving knowledge, leading to dangerous driving habits. Eighty-five percent of test-takers could not identify the proper action to take when approaching a “steady” yellow traffic light; only a quarter were actually aware of how much space to leave between them and the vehicle in front of them.

Without understanding the correct driving rules of the road, many drivers run the risk of increasing the amount of (close-call) accidents. The mentioned test is put into place to remind drivers to refresh their driving knowledge to prevent such events.

Surveying over 5,000 licensed drivers between the ages of 16-65 throughout all 50 states, including DC, the test included 20 questions taken from recent Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) exams. The conclusive data was determined by the percentage of state population, age, gender and ethnicity.

Driver Test Highlights:

• Men are better drivers: 1 in 4 women failed the test with an average score of 74.1 percent while the males dominated with an average score of 80.2 percent.
• Northeast is WORST driving region: Average scoring at 74.9 percent; the Midwest is the BEST driving region with an average score of 77.5 percent.
• “The older, the wiser”: Drivers ages 60-65 maintained the highest average test scores at 80.3 percent.
• Be extra cautious while driving in the Empire State and Beltway: 1 of 3 (34 percent) of all drivers in New York and Washington DC failed the test; Wyoming was the state with the lowest percentage of failures, with only 1 of 20 (4.5 percent) failing the test.
• Biggest gains and losses: Colorado recently jumped from 24th place in 2010 to third place with an 82 percent average score. Alaska, however, dropped 30 spots from tenth place in 2010 to 40th place this year with a decreased average test score of 76 percent; past years the state had a 79.8 average success rate.

Think YOU’RE smarter than the average driver? Take the test and compare answers with your friends and family!

Facebook users can take the National Drivers Test Facebook quiz; Twitter users can check out the Drivers Test Twitter page.

How do you think YOU will rank? Contact Wolpert Insurance today to find out about The Safe Driver Insurance Plan (Massachusetts), which lists different types of auto accidents and moving violations, and assigns a “point” value (from 0 to 4) to each type based on the severity of the incident. Drivers with accident-free records pay the lowest possible rates. Those who have had accidents or convictions pay more through surcharges added by SDIP points.