Older drivers outperform younger motorists in road knowledge in boost for over 55s
Older drivers above the age of 55 are more aware of vital road safety rules than younger road users, according to a staggering new survey.
Older motorists are more likely to be aware of basic road safety driving laws than motorists aged 17-24, according to new research.
Drivers above the age of 55 answered more of the mock theory test questions correctly than younger road users.
A bulk of licence holders over 55 have never taken an official DVSA theory test with the exam first introduced back in 1990.
Meanwhile, drivers between the ages of 17-24 would have recently passed the test making the results even more shocking.
However, the findings still showed sizeable gaps in knowledge across all age ranges in what could be a major safety concern.
When asked what triangular road signs are used for, 81 percent of those over 55 answered correctly compared to 68 percent of 17-24-year-olds.
84 percent of over 55s knew which lights were most appropriate for motorway driving contrasted to just 43 percent of younger road users.
A whopping 91 percent of older motorists knew the legal speed limit on a motorway with just 48 percent of younger drivers aware.
Finally, 73 percent of those above 55 were also able to answer what motorists should do if they are forced to slow down quickly on motorway compared to 62 percent of 17-24s.
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However, younger motorists were more aware of what time gap they should leave between cars in wet conditions.
A total of 34 percent of 17-24-year-olds knew the right answer was between four and five seconds compared to just 22 percent when the over 55s were polled.
Connor Campbell, expert at Independent Advisor Car Insurance claimed it was “shocking” how many motorists were unaware of basic driving rules.
Connor added: “With fixed penalty notices witnessing a sharp rise since the code change in 2022, it’s also crucial to regularly revisit the Highway Code to ensure you are up-to-date with the latest road laws.
“This is vital for refreshing your knowledge and will help you avoid hefty fines and costly penalty points.”
However, the poll found that only 13 percent of drivers aged above 55 answered all questions correctly.
Just 10 percent of 17-24 year olds also answered everything right but many were left unaware.
A staggering 67 percent of motorists across this demographic struggled to answer at least four correctly with one in ten getting every answer incorrect.
