StarBulletin.com

Isle drivers rank low in annual insurer test


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POSTED: Thursday, May 21, 2009

Hawaii motorists ranked nearly last in an insurance company's national driver's test.

               

     

 

STATE RANKINGS

        The 2009 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test quizzed drivers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia on how well they knew the rules of the road. Here are the states with the most and least knowledgeable drivers:
       

Top 5
        1. (tie) Idaho
        1. (tie) Wisconsin
        3. Montana
        4. Kansas
        5. South Dakota

       

Bottom 5
        51. New York
        50. New Jersey
        49. Hawaii
        48. California
        47. Georgia

       

 

       

In the GMAC annual written test Hawaii drivers had an average score of 72 percent, placing them 49th among the nation's 50 states and the District of Columbia. Last year Hawaii's drivers ranked 45th. A passing grade is 70 percent.

Idaho and Wisconsin drivers were tied for first with an average score of 80.6 percent. New York drivers ranked last with an average score of 70.5 percent, followed by New Jersey.

The fifth annual test polled 5,183 licensed drivers and contained 20 questions taken from state licensing exams.

The exam found that the number of drivers with knowledge of basic road rules is decreasing, with this year's score (76.6 percent) lower than last year's (78.1 percent.)

GMAC Insurance Group is one of the largest automobile insurers in the country and is a subsidiary of GMAC Financial Services.