Georgia Injury Law Blog
A survey by GMAC Insurance confirms what Georgia car accident lawyers have known for very long – the state’s drivers are not too solid in their knowledge of traffic rules.
The questionnaire consisted of a set of 20 questions from actual driving tests from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Drivers across the country were questioned on their knowledge of driving and traffic rules. The survey ranked drivers in Georgia at near the bottom of all the states. Seventy percent constituted a passing grade on the test. Drivers in Georgia scored an average of 72.2 percent. Thirty-four and one half of Georgians surveyed failed the test. That’s more than a third of surveyed drivers. The average test score results this year were lower than last year’s.
Respondents who took the test seem to have had the most problems with yellow lights and the minimum distance to be kept between vehicles. California, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York ranked below Georgia, with New York ranked at the absolute bottom. The best drivers apparently are in Idaho and Wisconsin.
Other findings from the survey were also interesting:
- Older drivers were likely to have a better knowledge of traffic rules than younger ones.
- The southern states had the highest failure rates at 41 percent, while the Midwest had the lowest failure rates at 15 percent.
- Men seemed to score higher than women, but the disparity isn’t that great – 87 percent for men and 80 percent for women.
Knowledge of traffic rules and the ability to follow them is an important part of road safety. People will argue that answering questions about road rules does not necessary speak for a person’s driving abilities. However, knowledge of the meaning of signage, knowledge of other motorists’ rights when you share roads with them, as well as the rights of pedestrians, and bicyclists, and other rules is important to prevent car accidents.