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Would most experienced drivers fail their test if they took it today?

Richard Gibson
Richard Gibson

Experienced motorists could struggle to pass the theory part of the driving test if they had to take it now, research has revealed.

In a mock test of long-qualified drivers, half failed the multiple-choice questions part of the test while a third failed the hazard perception part.

The tests, Involving 50 drivers, were arranged by Churchill Car Insurance.

The drivers had the most trouble identifying road traffic signs.

Also, a survey of 2,003 people by Churchill showed that 53% believed it should be compulsory to retake the theory test after a certain number of years.

A retake at just over 10 years was the most-favoured option, with 8% saying the test should be retaken every five years.

The poll showed that only 15% of drivers felt they fully understood all road signs, with 13% parking where it was prohibited and 7% going the wrong way down a one-way street.

Steve Barrett, head of Churchill Car Insurance, said: “An inability to read the road properly often leads to hesitant and unsafe driving behaviours, so we’d urge all road users to regularly brush up on their knowledge of road signs and regulation, as these are frequently updated.”

 

So we thought we’d get an experienced driver to give the theory test a go!

Experienced Inverness driver Richard Gibson admitted he is a “bit worried” about going onto the roads with drivers who couldn’t pass their theory tests.

Commissioning engineer Mr Gibson passed his mock theory test yesterday with a near perfect 48 out of 50 – equivalent to 96%.

He only slipped up on his knowledge of how far back to place a warning triangle during a breakdown and on toucan crossings.

He did not know that after an accident, a warning triangle should be 147ft back from your vehicle on the same side of the road.

Try the test yourself by clicking here.

And he now knows that a toucan crossing allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross roads at the same time.

He said that he knew about the crossings but didn’t know the names, while he admitted that it was a complete guess for the warning triangle question.

Mr Gibson passed his driving test in 1970 when the theory section consisted of being asked a few questions on the highway code at the end of the practical examination.

But he sailed through the online test yesterday despite no revision beforehand.

He said: “I’m very surprised and a bit worried that people are saying they can’t answer the questions.

“Largely the answers should be common sense if you’re a regular driver. There’s a few that are quite technical from the Highway Code but the rest are common sense.”