The Fourth Annual GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test Results R

Results from the 2008 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test released today found that 16.4 percent of drivers on the road – amounting to roughly 33 million licensed Americans – would not pass a written drivers test exam if taken today. The fourth annual survey, which polled 5,524 licensed Americans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, is designed to gauge driver knowledge by administering 20 actual questions taken from state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) exams. Kansas drivers ranked first in the nation, with an average test score of 84.0 percent; New Jersey drivers ranked last, with an average score of 69.9 percent.

Overall, findings from the 2008 survey indicate that an alarming number of licensed Americans continue to lack knowledge of basic rules of the road. While the national average score improved slightly to 78.1 percent (from 77.1 percent in 2007), in general, geographical regions ranked similarly to previous years, with the lowest average test scores in the Northeast. Across the board, respondents continued to have difficulty on questions about yellow lights and safe following distances. Eighty-four percent could not identify the correct action to take when approaching a steady yellow traffic light, and 73 percent could not properly identify a typical safe following distance from the car in front of them.

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