Many Fail the National Drivers Test

According to GMAC's National Drivers Test, the most knowledgeable drivers live in Wisconsin and Idaho; in both states 80.6% passed, while New York finished last with a score of 70.5%.

Overall, the test found just 76.6% of drivers know basic road rules, compared with 78.1% last year.

The National Drivers Test survey polled 5,183 licensed Americans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is designed to gauge driver knowledge by administering 20 actual questions taken from state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) exams. Of course, laws vary from state so you might wonder how this could be fair.

I took the test myself, and found that the questions in the National Drivers Test were pretty much common sense, and things that would be identical across the country. Try it yourself at nationaldriverstest.com.

That said, with only 20 questions and a high failure rate, it doesn't make me all warm and fuzzy about drivers in the U.S.

Wade Bontrager, senior vice president, Affinity Division, GMAC Insurance said:

“When we began this campaign five years ago, we embarked on a mission to help drivers become more aware of the rules of the road. We’ve seen the results ebb and flow, and this year, scores are down. This reiterates the fact that each and every one of us need to continually be brushing up on safe driving practices.”