Older baby boomers (ages 60-65) are the smartest drivers on the road, according to the 2011 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test, although no drivers over 65 were tested.
Baby boomers in their 60s had an average score of 80.3 percent on the test. The average score of all drivers tested was 77.9 percent, up from 76.2 percent in 2010, but the test results show that many drivers still don't know the basic rules of the road and exhibit dangerous driving habits.
About one in five people currently on the road--36.9 million Americans drivers--would not pass the written test required to get a driver's license. Eighty-five percent could not identify the correct action to take when approaching a steady yellow traffic light, for example, and only one quarter knew the safe distances to maintain when following other vehicles.
Without a thorough understand of basic driving knowledge, drivers run the risk of more accidents and injuries. The purpose of the annual GMAC test, which asks more than 5,000 drivers ages 16-65 to answer 20 questions taken from state Department of Motor Vehicles exams, is to identify drivers' lack of driving knowledge and to encourage them to improve.
The test also ranked the smartest drivers according to sex and geography. Kansas drivers had the highest average score (82.9 percent) compared; Washington, D.C., drivers had the lowest (71.8 percent).
The test also suggested that men are better drivers than women on average. About one in four women (27.2 percent) failed the test compared to 13.6 percent of men. Overall, men had an average score of 80.2 percent versus 74.1 percent for women.
To test your own driving knowledge, take the test at www.nationaldriverstest.com.
Also Read: