| Author |
Message |
    
Ligeti Man Meat
Citizen
Username: Ligeti
Post Number: 669
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 2:33 pm: | 
|
On a national driving test sponsored by GMAC Insurance, NJ drivers tied with Masschusetts for 48th in terms of driving knowledge.
Approximately one in three drivers said they usually do not stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. One in five did not know that pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right of way.
To enhance the results of this study, I commissioned my own survey and can report the following:
Most NJ drivers aren't aware they should turn their lights on when it gets dark. "Why should I?" was the most common response.
Most NJ drivers prefer not to use turn signals. A frequent answer was "What's the big deal? Why should I? Stupid."
A significant majority of NJ drivers see no problem with parking in the middle of the street. "F%#@ off" was a favorite response to this question.
A majority of NJ drivers feel SUV owners can drive any way they want, and that the customary rules of the road do not apply to them. "We're bigger, we're more powerful, we're special, now F%@# off or I'm going to flatten that pathetic little Honda of yours" was often heard.
|
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 5006
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 3:52 pm: |
|
They also feel that the white lines in parking lots are just suggestions, and "really @#$! stupid suggestions, too!" |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 14492
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 4:05 pm: |
|
We owe some of this stupidity to our government, for poor education and for poor marking. The standard way to mark a crosswalk doesn't bring enough attention to it.
The rules are also poorly written. As far as I'm concerned, a traffic circle is an intersection and should be treated as one. The NJ driver's manual, however, said that there is no set rule and you should observe the flow of traffic to get an idea of which traffic has right of way. WTF? If I wrote the law, it would say that vehicles in the intersection already have right of way over those wishing to enter, just as in regular intersections.
|
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 5007
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 4:26 pm: |
|
We've had this discussion before. The standard NJ drivers tests are 40-50% built around blood-alcohol levels and drug use. Sensible things like speed limits, rights of way, and general intelligent driving are crowded into the rest. As go the tests, so goes the training. |
Wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 2513
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 6:00 pm: |
|
I got a 95% when I took the test earlier today. But that's on paper not IRL. 
One thing to be pointed out is that even the worst state passed. 70% is the pass rate according to the test givers.
Quote:A score of 70 or higher is required to pass a standard state test.
The failure rate for drivers in northeastern states was about 16 percent, according to GMAC Insurance. The failure rate for drivers in northwestern states was from one to seven percent.
So although the northeast’s failure rate was higher than the northwest’s, the average test score was still passing. Not so horrible. I'm not saying NJ drivers or NY drivers are the best but the test is not necessarily the best indicator. Look at the road rage going on in Florida for example.
|
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9604
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 6:08 pm: |
|
Actually, a score of 70 when a 70 is required is the most efficient use of study time. Those who exerted extra hours so they could score 90 or 95 overstudied because there's no reward for it. |
Hoops
Citizen
Username: Hoops
Post Number: 1384
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 29, 2006 - 1:44 pm: |
|
I just got back from a road trip where I drove from South Orange to Niagara Falls, Cleveland Ohio, Canton Ohio, Columbus Ohio and back home through Pennsylvania and a smidge of West Virginia.
Without question the drivers in Ohio were deficient. They have no clue about driving in traffic nor do they care about the lines in a parking lot. They loved to cut you off as their favored method of switching lanes and signals were definitely optional.
New York drivers were generally good but were not courteous when driving in the left lane they would not switch into the right lane for faster moving traffic and forced traffic to pass them on the right.
West Virginia drivers were courteous and careful and for the time I saw them the sample was good.
Pennsylvania drivers mostly drove 15 miles over the speed limit but did signal when changing lanes.
The worst drivers encountered on my trip were Maryland drivers. They loved to sit in the left lane doing 5 mph under the speed limit and tended to drive the exact same speed as the right lane causing traffic to queue up behind them for miles.
I have no problem with NJ drivers. As a group we are generally courteous, generally want to get where we are going and as a congested population area are practiced in driving with traffic. |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page