New Research Shows Many Drivers Unprepared for Challenges of the Road

Learn more about the results of a recent survey that indicates a startling proportion of American drivers do not possess basic knowledge of roadway safety.

2011-08-25

August 25, 2011 (Press-News.org) Every year, GMAC Insurance, one of the largest auto insurers in the United States, conducts a study that examines drivers' knowledge of the rules of the road. The GMAC Insurance National Driver's Test has become a widely-respected litmus test of the general state of safe conduct on the nation's highways. This year's results, although a marginal improvement over 2010, still reveal a sorely-lacking emphasis on care behind the wheel for a large segment of American motorists.

Nearly One Fifth of Drivers Would Be Unable to Pass Written Test

In 2011, 5,130 licensed drivers from across the country participated in the GMAC Insurance National Driver's Test. Drivers were asked to answer 20 questions from state Department of Motor Vehicle licensure tests, with a score of 70 percent or below considered failing. The results were startling: approximately 18 percent of licensed drivers on the road would not be able to pass a driver's test if it were administered to them today.

Overall results were also divided by various demographic factors. It turns out more experienced drivers fared better: the oldest group tested, those between ages 60 and 65, had the highest average test scores. However, even new drivers fresh from driver's education, ages 16 to 24, scored higher than those between 25 and 34; 25- to 34-year-olds were far more likely to fail than any other age group. Men were also more likely to pass than women, with failure rates at 13.6 percent and 27.2 percent respectively.

Regional differences abounded as well: the Northeast had the lowest average score, while the Midwest outperformed other areas. Some states plummeted in the rankings compared to last year; Massachusetts' 2011 scores, for instance, placed it in 47th place, down from 38th just one year ago.

Lack of Knowledge Leads to Motor Vehicle Accidents

It comes as no surprise that deficient familiarity with the rules of the road can translate into real-world crashes. Some of the most common car accident causes -- like following vehicles too closely, failing to yield while making a left-hand turn, or making mistakes while merging into traffic -- could be avoided if drivers learned and followed basic safety guidelines.

Make a special point of brushing up on your driving knowledge this year, and if you have been injured by a negligent driver, contact an experienced car accident attorney. Your attorney can, of course, help you acquire compensation for your losses, but will also be able to help you hold irresponsible drivers accountable, making the roads safer for everyone.

Article provided by Eden Rafferty Tetreau & Erlich
Visit us at www.edenrafferty.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Tennessee Supreme Court Approves Forms for Uncontested Divorce

2011-08-25

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently approved the use of certain forms to be used in uncontested divorces throughout the state. Where litigants do not own real property or have minor children, they will be able to use plain-language forms to facilitate simple divorces. The Court incorporated a new rule making the forms acceptable in all Tennessee family courts beginning September 1, 2011. The forms will help parties in filing an "agreed divorce," which is also known as an uncontested divorce. The instructions that will accompany the forms will cover a range ...

Novel cytokine protects mice from colitis

2011-08-25

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Ulcerative colitis, or inflammation of the lining of the colon, is one such condition. The aberrant immune response found in IBD is prompted by different cytokines – small signaling proteins secreted by various cells, including immune cells – that activate the immune system, causing chronic inflammation. Now researchers led ...

A new set of building blocks for simple synthesis of complex molecules

2011-08-25

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Assembling chemicals can be like putting together a puzzle. University of Illinois chemists have developed a way of fitting the pieces together to more efficiently build complex molecules, beginning with a powerful and promising antioxidant. Led by chemistry professor Martin Burke, the team published its research on the cover of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie. Burke's group is known for developing a synthesis technique called iterative cross-coupling (ICC) that uses simple, stable chemical "building blocks" sequentially joined in a repetitive ...

Harvesting Marijuana Could Come With Stiff Penalties

2011-08-25

The approach of autumn means one thing for Wisconsin farmers -- harvest season. For most farmers this means picking corn or soy beans, for others it means harvesting marijuana. Following two busts of large-scale marijuana grow operations in the last two years, it appears that Wisconsin law enforcement officers are keeping a close watch on possible marijuana grow operations. Both busts involved the seizure of tens-of-thousands of marijuana plants -- with street values in the millions of dollars -- grown in remote corners of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Northern ...

Melanin's 'trick' for maintaining radioprotection studied

2011-08-25

Sunbathers have long known that melanin in their skin cells provides protection from the damage caused by visible and ultraviolet light. More recent studies have shown that melanin, which is produced by multitudes of the planet's life forms, also gives some species protection from ionizing radiation. In certain microbes, in particular some organisms from near the former nuclear reactor facilities in Chernobyl, melanin has even been linked to increased growth in the presence of ionizing radiation. Research at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National ...

New theory may shed light on dynamics of large-polymer liquids

2011-08-25

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new physics-based theory could give researchers a deeper understanding of the unusual, slow dynamics of liquids composed of large polymers. This advance provides a better picture of how polymer molecules respond under fast-flow, high-stress processing conditions for plastics and other polymeric materials. Kenneth S. Schweizer, the G. Ronald and Margaret H. Professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois, and graduate student Daniel Sussman published their findings in the journal Physical Review Letters. "This is the first ...

Modifying Child Support Obligations in Arizona

2011-08-25

Many Americans are currently experiencing financial setbacks due to stagnant economic conditions. For some, this means child support payment amounts that were once manageable are becoming burdensome. Fortunately, there is a well-defined process facilitated by Arizona courts that can help you lower your child support load. In Arizona, only the Superior Court can legally change the payments required by a child support order and either parent may request a modification from the court. Changes to the income stream of one or both parent, changes in the costs of medical insurance ...

NFL Workers' Comp Agreement Benefits Players

2011-08-25

Now that the NFL lockout is over, football fans across the nation are excited for the upcoming season. One of the last issues to be resolved was the ability for players to file workers' compensation claims in states where their team is not based. This was a particularly thorny issue that owners did not want to concede. Because of the speed and violent collisions inherent to professional football, NFL players get injured on the job much like any other employee and they have the opportunity to file for workers' compensation. Since injuries are large part of the game, owners ...

Taxpayer film subsidies promote youth smoking

2011-08-25

State governments, including California as well as others in Canada and the United Kingdom, pour hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into major motion pictures that depict smoking -- leading to thousands of new teen smokers every year, a University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researcher has found. According to a survey published in PLoS Medicine, those subsidies, along with government inaction on stricter ratings for movies that depict smoking, also promote youth smoking and undermine tobacco control efforts. In California, approximately 70 percent of all ...

MU study links inactivity with risk factors for Type 2 diabetes

2011-08-25

COLUMBIA, Mo. – 79 million American adults have prediabetes and will likely develop diabetes later in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to grow, researchers are focusing on discovering why the prevalence of the disease is increasing. John Thyfault, an assistant professor in MU's departments of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology and Internal Medicine, has found that ceasing regular physical activity impairs glycemic control (control of blood sugar levels), suggesting that inactivity ...

New Research Shows Many Drivers Unprepared for Challenges of the Road

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: