can british drivers still pass their driving theory test?
TRANSCRIPT
Can British Drivers Still
Pass Their Driving Theory
Test?
We tested 18,334 Brits on theory
test questions. Here are the
results…
• An online “quiz” which replicated questions from the UK driving theory test
• Users were asked 10 questions, randomised for each user
• Each quiz taker was given a percentage score at the end, along with a ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’ rating
• They were also given a personality type “Sensible Stella, Dangerous Damien”, etc.
The Test
The Findings…Who performed best, who performed worst?
Northern Ireland = The Biggest Loser
Wales Scotland England N. Ireland26.00%
27.00%
28.00%
29.00%
30.00%
31.00%
32.00%
33.00%
34.00%
30.7%29.3%
28.10%
32.90%
% Fail
% Fail
UK Countries
Women Drivers… underperform
Unfortunately, the age-old stereotype seems to remain true:
Women are worse drivers than men, at least according to their theory test results.
More than 35% of UK women couldn’t pass their theory test.
Male Female55.0%
60.0%
65.0%
70.0%
75.0%
80.0%77.0%
64.2%
Pass Rate
Battle of the sexes
More driving experience = better knowledge of road rules
You might think that new drivers would have the questions from the theory test fresh in their minds and they would do better. In fact, it seems that the longer one has been driving, the better their result.
Driving Experience
Less than one year Less than 5 years Less than 10 years Less than 18 years More than 18 years60.0%
62.0%
64.0%
66.0%
68.0%
70.0%
72.0%
74.0%
76.0%
78.0%
67.0%65.7%
70.7% 70.8%
75.8%
Pass Rate by Driving Period
Younger drivers = Almost 1 out 2 couldn’t pass theory
The poor pass rate among 17-21 year olds (just over ½ passing), might justify the higher insurance rate for this age bracket. At 22-30, the pass rate jumps dramatically to 66.5%
17-21 year olds
17 - 21 22 - 30 31 - 45 46 - 65 65+0.0%
10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%
52.6%
66.5% 69.0%74.8%
70.2%
47.4%
33.5% 31.0%25.2%
29.8%
Pass vs Fail Rate by Age
% Pass % Fail
(with 100+ entries)
Top 10 Counties
Top 10 UK Counties
Devon
Somerset
Lincolnshire
Derbyshire
Berkshire
Oxfordshire
Norfolk
Hampshire
Fife
Sussex
72.0% 73.0% 74.0% 75.0% 76.0% 77.0% 78.0% 79.0% 80.0%
79.4%
78.9%
77.7%
77.3%
77.0%
76.7%
76.3%
75.7%
75.6%
74.7%
Pass Rate in the Top 10 Counties
Knowledge Gap
WORST: Female, Northern Irish, 17-21. She likely lives in the County of Tyrone, and has been driving for less than one year.
Pass rate: 26.1%
BEST: Male, English, 46-65. He probably lives in Devon, and has been driving for 18+
years.
Pass rate: 82%
Britain’s best vs. worst profiles
Some questions to consider…
Should it be raised?1) "Young and novice drivers are overrepresented in
road collisions in Great Britain and worldwide.”
2) "22% of fatalities on GB's roads in 2011 occurred in collisions involving a driver aged 17 to 24 years old.”
3) "In 65% of these collisions the fatal injuries were sustained by passengers or road users other than the young driver.”
Sources: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check/2013/oct/11/dangerous-drivers-how-old-uk-age-18
http://www.brake.org.uk/info-resources/info-research/road-safety-factsheets/15-facts-a-resources/facts/488-young-drivers-the-hard-facts
17-21
52.6%
47.4%
Young Drivers
Pass Fail
Driving Age
Despite road accidents, senior drivers know the rules
“A report published last year reviewed all road accident fatalities recorded in Britain between 1989 and 2009. It concluded that the risk of fatality was higher for older adults aged over 70 than younger ones.”
Knowing the rules of the road is not the issue.
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check/2013/oct/11/dangerous-drivers-how-old-uk-age-18 65+
70.2%
29.8%
Pass Fail
Senior Drivers
Some fun rivalries…
Yorkshire Lancashire65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
73.2%
68%
Pass %
Pass %
Yorkshire vs. Lancashire: Battle of the Roses
Norfolk Suffolk60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
7876.3%
66.1%
Pass %
Pass %
Norfolk vs. Suffolk
London = worst region in the UK
West
Wales
South W
est
Yorkshire
& Humbersi
de
South East
East Midlands
North East
East of E
ngland
Scotla
nd
West
Midlands
North W
est
South W
ales
Mid Wales
North W
ales
Northern Ire
land
London
10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%
% Fail by Region
What’s next?
• To date, we’ve had over 18,500 Brits take the quiz • We’ll continue to analyse the data, looking at
differences in demographic results• We’re digging deeper into the results to see
which specific questions Brits get wrong• We’d like to release this data in order to raise
awareness among certain demographics and to do our bit to increase the safety on Britain’s roads
ROAD SAFETY:
BRIDGING THE KNOWLEDGE
GAP
Please use our learnings to help us all improve road safety
• The data in this presentation is available for media and road safety awareness groups to use in any road safety story • Please let us know if we can help
provide any further stats or assistance• The source to reference is:
www.webuyanycar.com/driving-theory-quiz
Let’s all look out for each other on Britain’s roads!
The theory test
Why not take the test for yourself?
Visit: webuyanycar.com/driving-theory-quiz
The quiz can also be easily embedded into your site if you’d like to share it with your own audience. Please contact [email protected] if you require any assistance with this.
A few notes about how we conducted the quiz…
Getting 18,000 Brits to take the test
• Facebook Ads and a promoted post were targeted at different ages, genders, and locations across the UK to ensure an even spread of entries
• Used the incentive of “win an iPad” to encourage entries
How we encouraged more social shares
• Asked “could you still pass your theory test?” on social media• Encouraged quiz takers to share their results on social media• Used the hashtag #WBACQuiz to track social conversation
Thank you for reading. You may also be interested in…
• Scottish Women Aware of Drink Driving Limits, Rest of UK Unsure – Press Release• ‘Crazy Car Stats from Around the World!’ -
Infographic• How British Cars are Ruling Our Roads (and
Our Hearts) - Infographic• Take the driving theory test for yourself
www.webuyanycar.com