Proof Positive * USA : Nearly 1 In 5 Drivers Unfit For the Road

St. Louis,MO,USA -The Car Connection, by L. James Johnson -26 May 2011: ...  Now, we may have empirical proof that our superior driving skills are a reality... We can grumble away knowing that nearly one in five drivers on U.S. roads are technically unfit to be behind the wheel... The GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test polled over five thousand drivers from all 50 states. Each respondent was given 20 questions taken from state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) exams. The results suggest that a surprising number of people on the road still lack basic driving knowledge, which can lead to dangerous driving habits... Even though the overall score of the survey increased from just over 76 percent last year to almost 78 percent this year, the study reveals that one in five drivers, or nearly 40 million individuals on U.S. roads, can’t meet the basic requirements to get a driver’s license. Incredibly, 85 percent of respondents could not describe the correct action to take when approaching a steady yellow traffic light. Some 25 percent were not sure of safe following distances... Based on the GMAC Insurance test, where is the best place in the country to live? Kansas has once again placed first with the most knowledgeable drivers after achieving an 83 percent score. Washington, D.C., bumped New York State from last place with a 72 percent result...  One out of every three respondents to the study in New York and Washington, D.C,  failed the test...

Are men better drivers?

The GMAC study found that one in four women failed the test. This was twice as many failures as men. If driving knowledge indicates driving skill, this means that men really are better drivers when compared to women. Overall, men scored higher than women on the test. The average score for men was 80 percent; 74 percent for women...