Huckleberries Online

EOB: Idaho Has Best … Drivers?

Posted by DFO

May 20, 2009 9:14 a.m. • 6 comments

According to a new national survey by GMAC Insurance, Idaho drivers are tied (with Wisconsin) for best in the nation in their driving knowledge - performance on the written test for a driver’s license. This isn’t new drivers; it’s existing ones. The annual survey polled 5,183 licensed drivers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, asking them 20 questions taken from state driver exams. Idaho drivers’ average score was 80.6 percent; just 5.7 percent of Idaho respondents failed, scoring under 70 percent. Nationally, 20.1 percent of licensed drivers failed the test/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.

Question: Are you surprised that Idaho drivers rank at the top of the US in driving knowledge?

Six comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Bent on May 20 at 9:28 a.m.
That settles it then… the crappy drivers in our region must be from Spokane.
brentandrews on May 20 at 9:49 a.m.
No, because of all the snow in the winter. You have to be a good driver or you’re going to be sitting on the side of the road freezing. Man, Honey got some great experience navigating the ruts into Spokane every morning, and in the winter always several inches of snow on the interstate and cars off the sides everywhere. Come summer, it’s no problem for Idaho drivers. Take those trainloads of snow away and driving is easy.
toadman on May 20 at 9:51 a.m.
Wow.. this is shocking. Shocking, I tell you.
mike_s on May 20 at 9:56 a.m.
I’m not totally surprised. Idaho drivers are also more likely to offer a friendly wave to each other as their cars pass on backroads.
Liz on May 20 at 11:59 a.m.
so I wonder where the Boston drivers would rank????
Because enquiring minds want to know….
HonestGeorge on May 20 at 3:41 p.m.
No, not at all. While traveling in Washington, Oregon and California I’ve noted that the simplest road hazard is usually handled with numerous traffic control efforts ranging from electronic signing, re-routing, numerous radio-equipped flag-persons and enough highway patrolmen around to handle a small revolution. In contrast, in Idaho an entire roadway can collapse and disappear from sight and only a lone, battered road cone will mark the spot. Survival of the fittest is obviously in play.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.