And the worst drivers in America live in.....

[KCALB SIRAY]

GMAC Insurance has released the results of its National Drivers Test for 2009. The test, which measures basic knowledge of driving laws, was given to more than 5,000 drivers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia -- and New Yorkers finished last. Last year's loser, New Jersey, improved its score just enough to leap over New York. Hawaii, California and Georgia rounded out the bottom five.


Idaho and Wisconsin drivers tied for the highest average score, with an 80.6.


The point of the test, of course, is not just to confirm what anyone who's tried to merge onto the Thruway already knew. It's to measure how much we know about safe driving. And the news isn't good.


In a press release, GMAC explains, "Results from the 2009 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test released today found that 20.1 percent of licensed Americans - amounting to roughly 41 million drivers on the road - would not pass a written drivers test exam if taken today." Most of us have trouble, according to the results, with "questions about yellow lights and safe following distances."


The survey has been given for five years. The average score has fluctuated up and down during that time, but this year it is down - 76.6 percent versus last year's 78.1.


GMAC notes, "In general, geographical regions ranked similarly to previous years, with the lowest average test scores in the Northeast, while the states in the Midwest held the highest averages. When comparing genders, men are still more likely to pass the test than women, but the gap is considerably smaller in 2009 (81 percent of males versus 79 percent of females) than in 2008 (87 percent of males versus 80 percent of females)."


And, "The older the driver, the higher the test score." Drivers over 35 were more likely to pass than those under 35, while men over 45 posted the highest scores, and "the age group with the highest failure rates was young adults (18 to 24 years old)."





State Rankings
Note: Many states tied for the same position in the rankings.


1 IDAHO
1 WISCONSIN
3 MONTANA
4 KANSAS
5 SOUTH DAKOTA
5 NEBRASKA
7 UTAH
8 WYOMING
8 IOWA
8 OREGON
8 MINNESOTA
12 ALASKA
12 NORTH DAKOTA
14 VERMONT
15 COLORADO
15 MISSOURI
17 OKLAHOMA
17 WASHINGTON
19 NEW MEXICO
20 NORTH CAROLINA
21 VIRGINIA
22 INDIANA
22 MICHIGAN
24 ARKANSAS
24 TEXAS
26 ALABAMA

26 NEVADA
28 WEST VIRGINIA
29 ILLINOIS
30 ARIZONA
31 MAINE
32 DELAWARE
33 NEW HAMPSHIRE
34 OHIO
35 KENTUCKY
36 PENNSYLVANIA
37 LOUISIANA
38 TENNESSEE
38 MISSISSIPPI
40 SOUTH CAROLINA
40 MARYLAND
42 CONNECTICUT
43 FLORIDA
44 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
45 MASSACHUSETTS
46 RHODE ISLAND
47 GEORGIA
48 CALIFORNIA
49 HAWAII
50 NEW JERSEY
51 NEW YORK

[jclo3313]

I say Atlanta.

[SIPNGAS]

I could have told you that. People drive like morons around here.

[jambo101]

Seems like the worst drivers seem to be wherever i happen to be.

[Altitude]

Originally Posted by SIPNGAS

I could have told you that. People drive like morons around here.

Wait - Wisconsin is #1 - that's good!

[SilverBack]

Here people can't even walk properly, let alone drive...

[Black Yaris]

Originally Posted by jclo3313

I say Atlanta.

I live there for many years.... ATL has the worst drivers I have ever encountered

[tuckevalastin]

I drive through 7 of the bottom 10 states on a regular basis. Its a wonder my car is still in one piece.

[Hosh's One]

#49 HAWAII...why am I not suprised!?...actually, I am...I would have placed us lower!...the roads over here are horrible for driving any car except a monster truck... why bother with defensive driving...just get a 4x4 and run eachother off the road..haha...

[Astroman]

I can definitely agree that drivers in oregon are worse than washington state. The only thing washington is worst at is keeping in the right lane, and pulling out into traffic when there isn't time.

[tristan]

lol Florida, I knew it would be towards the bottom.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by KCALB SIRAY

GMAC Insurance has released the results of its National Drivers Test for 2009. The test, which measures basic knowledge of driving laws, was given to more than 5,000 drivers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia -- and New Yorkers finished last. Last year's loser, New Jersey, improved its score just enough to leap over New York. Hawaii, California and Georgia rounded out the bottom five.

If GMAC were measuring accident rates based upon violations of State law this might be different, but performance on a test score... means little or nothing.

Gene

[tuckevalastin]

I agree, my initial thought here was "this is an awful way to determine which state has the worst drivers"