Roughly 38 million Americans—or 18.4% of drivers on the road—would not pass a written drivers test exam if they were to take one today, according to results of 2010 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test.
The average national exam score was 76.2% in 2010, down nearly 2 points from the 78.1% scored in 2008. Any score below 70% is considered failing.
Drivers in the Northeast are not as road-rule savvy as their Midwestern counterparts: The Northeast had the lowest average test scores (74.9%) and had the highest failure rate (25.1%), whereas the Midwest region had the highest average test scores (77.5%) and the lowest failure rates (11.9%).
Below, other results of the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Survey.
Most Knowledgeable Drivers in Kansas, Least in New York
After dropping to fourth place last year from its No. 1 ranking in 2008, Kansas regained the top spot this year with an average driving exam score of 82.3%. New York drivers ranked last for the third time in the survey's six-year history (70.0%).
Other regional findings:
- Ranked in the top 4 this year are Kansas, Oregon, South Dakota, and Minnesota; Washington DC, California, New York, and New Jersey ranked in the bottom 4.
- Both New York and New Jersey have ranked in the bottom 4 for the last five years.
- New Jersey claims the top failure ranking in 2010 with virtually 4 out of 10 New Jersey drivers (39.9% ) scoring below 70%, followed by New York, DC, and Louisiana—all with failing scores of 31% or higher.
- Wisconsin, which tied with Idaho for the best score last year, dropped to No. 12 this year, although its average test score fell just a little over 1% from 80.6% down to 79.4%.
- South Dakota and Oregon rank No. 1 and No. 2 with the highest percentage of passing scores (92% and 91%, respectively).
The average test score was higher among men (78.1%) than women (74.4%). Women also had a higher failure rate (24.0%) than men (18.1).
Men age 45+ earned the highest average test score.
Conversation with other passengers is the leading distraction while driving, cited by 52% of surveyed drivers.
Roughly 25% of drivers say they drive while talking on a cell phone, eating and adjusting the radio, or selecting songs on an iPod.
Some 5% say they text while driving.
Overall, a significantly higher percentage of females than males reported engaging in the following distracting situations: conversation with passengers, selecting songs on an iPod or CD, adjusting the radio, talking on a cell phone, eating, applying make-up, and reading.
"It's discouraging to see that overall average test scores are lower than last year," said Wade Bontrager, senior vice-president, GMAC Insurance. "American drivers need to make safety a top priority and be aware of the rules of the road at all times. The National Drivers Test allows everyone to brush up on their driving knowledge with a brief refresher course."