1 in 5 Drivers Would Flunk Test: Survey

An annual survey of driver smarts is out, and the coasts fare poorly, the Los Angeles Times reports. Conducted by GMAC, the survey posed questions from US drivers license tests and found that 20% of current drivers would fail a written exam. New York ranked dead last and California 48th, sharing the lower rungs with New Jersey and Hawaii.

Some other results:

• Drivers over 35 had the highest passing rate, while newbies aged 18 to 24 were most likely to fail.
• Men did slightly better than women on the test—81% to 79%—but the difference is statistically insignificant.
• The Midwest boasts the highest average scores and lowest rate of failure; the Northeast scored the lowest average scores, while the South failed most often.

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