Study: Northeast has dumbest drivers

Discussion in 'Politics' started by hapaboy, Jun 4, 2006.

  1. Test scores are in: Northeast still has dumbest drivers

    Insurance company exam indicates one in 11 drivers would fail state licensing exam.

    May 30, 2006; Posted: 12:31 p.m. EDT (1631 GMT)

    NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - The tiny state of Rhode Island still ranks rock bottom in terms of driving knowledge, according to a national test conducted by GMAC Insurance. Oregon drivers answered the most questions correctly.

    The test revealed that about one in 11 licensed drivers in the United States would fail a state drivers test, according to GMAC Insurance.

    Rhode Island ranked last year, also, with an average score of 77. Last year, Oregon's average score was 89, which still placed at the top of the rankings that year.

    Based on average scores, northwestern states generally ranked highest while the bottom-ranking states were mostly in the northeast. One exception was Vermont, which ranked third. Washington state drivers ranked second. Drivers in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia ranked at the bottom, with D.C. finishing just ahead of Rhode Island.

    The 20-question test was based on questions asked in state driver's license examinations. A score of 70 or higher is required to pass a standard state test.

    The failure rate for drivers in northeastern states was about 16 percent, according to GMAC Insurance. The failure rate for drivers in northwestern states was from one to seven percent.

    The test and an accompanying survey were completed by 5,288 licensed drivers including at least 100 from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey asked about responses to specific driving situations.

    (Cheat alert: The following paragraph includes some answers to the test.)

    Approximately one in three drivers said they usually do not stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. At least one out of five drivers did not know that pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right of way. At least one in five also did not know that roads are most slippery when it first starts to rain after a dry spell.

    http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/05/26/dumb_driver_states/index.html
     
  2. I live in the Northeast , although was born and raised in UK, where driving tests are(were) notoriously difficult to pass. I had heard that driving tests in US were easy, but didn't realize how easy until the following happened:

    An employee of mine was about to sit his driving test, but didn't have a car, so asked to borrow mine. As the car owner, I was obliged to sit in the back seat of the car during the test. (can't remember the exact reason why). Anyway, he had done all the paperwork before the test and we were waiting in the car for the cop to come out to start the test. 20mins later, the embarrassed cop appeared and said that he had lost the paperwork, but had eventually found it under a desk. He then proceeded to ask the driver some of the usual questions about hand signals etc.., which he mostly got wrong. The cop turned to me with an exasperated tone and said "Is this guy a good driver?" I said "Yes". He turned to the driver and said "You've passed"... He didn't even have to start the engine.
     
  3. Test scores are in: Hawaii still has dumbest traders
     
  4. Ricter

    Ricter

    What state (or province) has the most accidents per capita? That, to me, points to the worst drivers.

    Your stat indicates what state ranks lowest on driving tests.
     
  5. g222

    g222


    The 'Northeast', where I'm from originally, covers a group of several states, and yes, driving in certain of them during the right time of day can be a life altering experience.

    However, having lived in Florida for over 25 years now, I do have to say that while Florida may not statistically have the dumbest drivers in the country ... IT'S PRETTY FAR AHEAD OF WHATEVER STATE THAT'S IN SECOND PLACE !!!!!!!
     
  6. I will second that...
     
  7. Arnie

    Arnie

    Study: U.S. drivers are bad, but Rhode Island has worst
    By PBN Staff


    For the second year in a row, a major car insurer has ranked Rhode Islanders worst among U.S. drivers for their ignorance of the rules of the road and of basic car safety and for their proclivity to engage in dangerous, even “alarming” behaviors.

    The GMAC Insurance Group ranked the 50 states and the District of Columbia after giving a 20-question test to 5,288 licensed drivers ages 16 to 60 and over nationwide. The test, administered by MarketTools, a market research firm, is similar to tests used to award driver’s licenses.

    For the second year in a row, Oregon drivers ranked highest on the test, with an average score of 91 percent (70 percent is the cutoff for most driver’s tests), and Rhode Islanders ranked lowest, with an average score of 75 percent – down from 77 percent last year.

    Massachusetts ranked third-worst after D.C.; Connecticut was eighth from the bottom. A color-coded map provided by GMAC Insurance shows that, in general, the Northeast has the worst drivers overall – except for New Hampshire – while drivers in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest did best.
     
  8. Many people from the Northeast retire down to Florida though, so that may have something to do with it. :D