Northeast still has country's dumbest drivers

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Personally, I think it's the City of Windsor, just south of here -- seems like anybody driving like a complete jackass around here always exits there.

But according to the official insurance company study, the drivers from the northeastern states are still the champion dummies.

Take the test yourself here:http://www.gmacinsurance.com/SafeDriving/2006/test.asp


May 26, 2006; Posted: 1:56 p.m. EDT (1756 GMT)


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - These are the rankings and average scores for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the GMAC Insurance driving test.

Average: 83.7 percent

1. Oregon 90.6

2. Washington 88.2

3. Vermont 87.5

4. Idaho 87.3 (Tie)

4. South Dakota 87.3 (Tie)

6. Montana 87.2

7. Nebraska 87.0

8. Kansas 86.8

9. Iowa 86.7

10. Wyoming 86.2

11. Wisconsin 86.1

12. Minnesota 86.0

13. Alaska 85.8

14. California 85.6

15. Indiana 85.2 (Tie)

15. Colorado 85.2 (Tie)

17. Michigan 85.1

18. North Dakota 85.0

19. West Virginia 84.8

20. Utah 84.5

21. Mississippi 84.4

22. Illinois 84.3

23. Tennessee 84.2

24. Texas 84.0 (Tie)

24. Kentucky 84.0 (Tie)

26. New Hampshire 83.9

27. Arkansas 83.8

28. Virginia 83.5

29. Arizona 83.4

30. Georgia 83.2 (Tie)

30. Louisiana 83.2 (Tie)

32. North Carolina 83.1 (Tie)

32. Maine 83.1 (Tie)

34. Ohio 83.0

35. Oklahoma 82.9

36. Alabama 82.8

37. Missouri 82.7 (Tie)

37. Delaware 82.7 (Tie)

39. Nevada 82.6

40. South Carolina 82.3 (Tie)

40. Florida 82.3 (Tie)

42. Pennsylvania 82.1

43. New Mexico 81.5

44. Connecticut 80.9

45. Hawaii 80.7

46. Maryland 79.5

47. New York 79.4

48. New Jersey 78.6 (Tie)

48. Massachusetts 78.6 (Tie)

50. Washington, D.C. 76.5

51. Rhode Island 75.1

est 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)
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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.

[Ron Thorne]

Yo, Alaska fared pretty well, though I wouldn't always know it from being in the presence of so many bozos every week.

It's a simple test. I just took it at a pretty brisk pace and scored 95%. I can't figure out which question I answered incorrectly. Dang, I'd hoped for a perfect score! I think I was robbed after looking at the correct answers.

Shit, Alaska oughta be #1. With their weather you probably can't drive but a coupla months a year. Wonder if dogsleds were considered in that study? heh

[Dr Dave]

How did DC get in there? Everybody knows Boston drivers are the worst, and let's face it, Rhode Island is full of Boston drivers. I am proud of my many decades of being a Boston driver, the city that invented the bumper-sticker that says "IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY I DRIVE, GET OFF THE SIDEWALK."



On the other hand: You have to be really, really dull to fail the North Carolina driver's test.

I don't think you even have to know english to pass NC's test.

[Enforcer]

I've had to drive through West Bloomfield to take my daughter to music lessons twice in the past month. What a fucking joke. All that money those motherfuckers make has softened their brains. Either that or they just don't think anyone else on the road is important enough to warrant any attention from them. Unbelievable morons, one after another after another. Rush hour type traffic on Saturday at around noon, erratic behavior, cell phones in their ears, tailgating and braking unexpectedly, no use of turn signals. You name the bad driving habit, they do it. And the second the idiot in front of you turns off the road, the driver in front of her turns out to be just as bad.

If I'd had a shotgun in my car, I would have just shot at least a dozen of them.

[kedoane]

My husband complains about people driving while talking on their cell phones a lot. This morning he was wondering if someone was driving while talking on a cell phone and gets into an accident and suddenly dies.

My husband didn't want me to have a cell phone for a long time but we do realize now, with my mom being sick, that if I need to be reached I do have a phone where I can be reachable at.

[moneyp]

Atlanta has the worst drivers I've seen on five continents. I wouldn't trust more than a tenth of them on the Beltway.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

you can say that again, mone. the only place in the world where orange means go faster.

[moneyp]

Originally Posted by Salvador Dali Lama

you can say that again, mone. the only place in the world where orange means go faster.

And turn lanes are merely a suggestion.

The ultimate, I think, aside from seeing three cars line up in the oncoming traffic lane to make a turn, was watching an ambulance, sirens blazing, that had to wait for four cars to speed through the intersection in front of it.

[Ron Thorne]

Imagine this. I live in a winter city where bozos seem to forget how to drive in winter conditions in a few short months. Add new residents to the mix along with three new roundabouts, two of which are in a very high-traffic area, and you have a recipe for disaster. Amazingly, it's been pretty remarkably accident-free thus far. I see near-disasters nearly every week in winter when coming home, though.

Ice and roundabouts are not natural partners, especially when the intellect is not particularly high, cellular phones are in use, and it's dark for long hours.

[clinthopson]

I drove around the Baltimore area during our visit. All in all the drivers seem to be somewhat competent, but they drive too goddam slow!

Plus they allow 16 wheelers in the fast lane. I had one of those giant bastards tailgating me while going at freeway speeds in the fast lane.

NY state drivers, not NYC, impressed me as pretty good and courteous drivers.

[jesus marion joseph]

Originally Posted by clinthopson

I drove around the Baltimore area during our visit. All in all the drivers seem to be somewhat competent, but they drive too goddam slow!

Plus they allow 16 wheelers in the fast lane. I had one of those giant bastards tailgating me while going at freeway speeds in the fast lane.

NY state drivers, not NYC, impressed me as pretty good and courteous drivers.

"Freeway speeds" is a term of art. For example, I consider 90 to be a good freeway speed.

[clinthopson]

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

"Freeway speeds" is a term of art. For example, I consider 90 to be a good freeway speed.

Slowpoke!

[Chris D]

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

"Freeway speeds" is a term of art. For example, I consider 90 to be a good freeway speed.

So that was you on my ass.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

According my daughter, my mother, who is a self-assured 83, drives the posted speed limit (65) in the fast lane, while drivers all around her are beeping and flipping her off, "And grandma says, 'Well it's not my fault if they're acting juvenile -- I'm driving the speed limit!'"

[kedoane]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

According my daughter, my mother, who is a self-assured 83, drives the posted speed limit (65) in the fast lane, while drivers all around her are beeping and flipping her off, "And grandma says, 'Well it's not my fault if they're acting juvenile -- I'm driving the speed limit!'"

And unfortunately, people in the Bay Area tend to ignore the speed limit and go faster (unless they are stuck in traffic). I try to drive between 65 and 70 with the cruise control on, but there are a lot of people who want to drive faster than that.

[Enforcer]

Fixed.

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

I drive the posted speed limit (65) in the fast lane, while drivers all around me are beeping and flipping me off, "And I say, 'Well it's not my fault if they're acting juvenile -- I'm driving the speed limit!'"

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

With all the miles I put on the car? I wish! No, unfortunately I'm one of the juveniles doing 74.5 and mouthing unpleasant epithets at the slow-pokes as I pass them on the right.