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New Yorkers Are The Dumbest Drivers
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Don’t shoot the messenger!
According to a survey by GMAC, their GMAC Insurance National Drivers test, the dumbest drivers are in New York where the average driving test score was a mere 70.0%. New Jersey wasn’t that far behind with an average test score of 70.5%. The “smartest” drivers were in Kansas (82.3%) and Oregon (82.1%). Here are the results in an interactive app that doesn’t really work all that well.
It’s really an interesting study because they also asked how many people apply makeup while driving, eat while driving, or change their clothes while driving. Change their clothes! Who changes their clothes while driving? Apparently a lot of people do because 2.9% of the respondents in Kansas, the “smartest” drivers, have changed their clothes while driving.
As an aside, the number of people who text while driving is also pretty alarming. Many states have laws against texting while driving.
It only takes a few minutes to pull off to the side of the road to change, yet 3% of people in several states insist on driving at the same time.
Don’t be stupid, don’t change while driving. 
(Photo: jshultz)
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And that only include the number that admit to all of this. Changing shirts is easy, the hard thing to do is changing your pants while driving.
I don’t put makeup on while driving, but does using an electric razor count? Then I might be guilty.
Yikes! Jessica’s harsh. Maybe New York has a greater percentage of non U.S. born taking the test! Anyways Maryland can’t brag to much after ranking 20th. At least we haven’t been caught changing clothes. I have to admit I have changed a tie or two in the gridlock around where I live!
@DIY Investor: You’re right on. I live in NY and I’d be surprised if 70% spoke English. As a matter of fact, I’d say about 30% of New Yorkers would be more comfortable driving a camel.
I’ve done a lot of stuff while stopped at a stop light. If you’re just sitting there, why wouldn’t you do something?
Because then you don’t see the light turn green and you hold up people who are paying attention to the conditions around them.
Because you might not notice your Toyota unintentionally accelerating and will not be able to respond.
Because you might not notice the Toyota behind you unintentionally accelerating and will not be able to take evasive action.
Because you might not realize that you’re taking pressure off your brake and drifting forward.
Because you become overly focused on the light color in your quick glances up, see it turn green, and don’t see the car that’s still traversing the intersection or the pedestrian who has not cleared the crosswalk.
Red light time isn’t time to do something else. A lot of accidents are caused by people goofing off at redlights and stop signs.
Looks like the GMAC test is here:
http://www.nationaldriverstest.com/agency/national-drivers-test/ndt-test.php
I got 90% on the test.
Ha! My state is right near the bottom too. And sadly I’m not really surprised….
Guilty in NY!
Gone from a suit to full blown softball uniform all while driving on the expressway. I admit it was pretty dumb. I probably could just have changed in a parking lot instead.
Wait wait wait… Jessica just hasn’t had the privilege of driving in Arizona.
But then, maybe there’s a difference between “homicidal” and “stupid”?
I have to attest that MD/VA and DC area drivers are pretty bad. On the DC beltway, there is always traffic around areas that have slight corners. Does it really require to slow down that much just because there is a slight turn? There also seems to be a major problem with drivers who like to rubber-neck here….
was somewhat surprised by IN rankings, but maybe where I grew up just had a lot of the lower end of that average, either that or the chatting and chewing got in the way
is it because the population density in NY is much more than most states in USA?
? How would this affect the average score, or the percentage of people engaging in certain behaviors?
I used to change while driving, and shave.
Really? I can understand shaving with an electric shaver but what would you change? Shirts? Pants?
Does changing include taking off a jacket? I’ve definitely changed shoes at a red light or taken off a jacket/heavy sweater… and I used to live in NJ! Go figure
The DMV area has the worst traffic issues because of idiots that can’t drive and should have no business on the road period. The main issue is that there’s a huge mix of people from all over in this area. So most of them have no idea how to drive in inclement weather.
Don’t even bother trying to get anywhere on time when there’s a drizzle. Everyone freaks out around here and goes 30mph on the hwy!!! The amount of useless braking is insane here as well. They fail to realize that everytime they brake they cause a chain reaction miles down the road. Sometimes I’d be stuck in traffic not moving at all and then all of a sudden i’m going 60mph…no accidents or anything.
When there’s an accident, even if its not blocking any lanes traffic comes to a standstill because of the idiots who slow down to watch…AAAAAHHHHH!!!! i hate those the most….
Okay, rant over…
I think NY has the worst drivers mostly because of the density of cars and the urban environment. I HATE driving in NYC…
Or people who slow to a crawl when there is a tiny dusting of snow. Uh, it’s not ICE, you can drive faster than 20 mph …
I have seen many dumb things over the years.
How about a woman breast feeding while doing 65?
How about a guy with a large guitar on his lap?
Hiow about a guy with a 2 year old on his lap letting the baby steer?
How about a guy with a plate full of food eating on the highway? And oh yeah, he threw the garbage out of his window.
How about a guy with one of his legs on the dashboard?
How about a guy letting his girlfriend steer the car from the passanger seat?
Add to all of this women and men brushing teeth, makeup, shaving, combing hair, etc.
Enough said.
Bill Snider
I always figured it was Illinois, we have a ton of terrible drivers.