Know your road rules? Try this test

''Learn how to drive!''

How many times have you muttered — or shouted — that phrase? More than you can count, I'd guess.

In most cases, it's not clear whether the offending driver is ignorant or selfish. But a series of national tests suggests it tends to be the former.

For the past six years, GMAC Insurance has asked a huge sampling of motorists — more than 5,000 per year — to take a written driver's test, and the scores have been dropping faster than BP's stock price.

In 2005, the failure rate (below 70 percent answered correctly) was one in ten. This year, one of every five drivers was a flunky.

Are you?

Are you sure?

The following quiz is not the generic national GMAC test. This is a test assembled specifically for you, an Ohioan, by your favorite columnist.

You're welcome.

The answers appear after the last question.

Let's play fair. And please — please! — no wagering!

1. True or false: It is illegal to drive with bare feet.

2. True or false: If an adult is sitting in the back seat of a car, he or she doesn't have to wear a seat belt.

3. True or false: When there's a single lane in each direction and you are about to pull out to pass the car in front of you, you are required to blow your horn to alert the other motorist of your impending move.

4. True or false: You pull up to a two-way stop, preparing to turn left, and wait for the cross traffic to clear. While you're waiting, another driver approaches from the other direction and stops. The other driver plans to go straight. Because you arrived at the stop sign first, you get to go first.

5. True or false: It is illegal to wear headphones while driving.

6. How many feet in advance must you turn on your blinker when changing lanes or making a turn?

7. True or false: If you're at least 16 years old, you can legally ride in the unenclosed bed of a pickup truck on a public street as long as the truck isn't going faster than 25 mph.

8. What's the farthest your tires can be from the curb after parallel parking?

9. How far behind the car in front of you is a safe following distance?

10. True or false: It is illegal to pass on the right.

ANSWERS:

(1. Nope. No such law. Not here, not anywhere. Never has been. Driving instructors generally don't recommend it, but driving barefoot is certainly safer than driving in baseball cleats or spiked heels.)

(2. True. But you'd be a buffoon not to.)

(3. True, remarkably. If you wouldn't dream of doing this, you're not alone, but Ohio law actually requires it.)

(4. Wrong! This is probably the most misunderstood law on
Ohio's books. At a two-way stop, you treat the right-of-way exactly as you'd treat it if there were no stop sign. But you'd better proceed with caution, because nobody else on the road seems to comprehend this.)

(5. True. Even if your radio is broken or your passenger is singing off-key.)

(6. 100 feet.)

(7. True. This law comes courtesy of the same state that requires seat belts for front-seat passengers.)

(8. 12 inches.)

(9. Don't think in terms of feet, because that varies with the speed. A safe following distance is a gap of three seconds.)



(10. False. If there is more than one lane in your direction, you can legally pass on the right. But you shouldn't need to unless the person in the left lane is a bozo driving 5 mph below the speed limit who doesn't know that slower traffic is required to stay in the right-hand lane.)

Miss four or more questions? We'd appreciate it if you'd park your car and call a cab.

Actually, if you'd like, we'll give you a second chance. You can find the GMAC test at http://www.gmacinsurance.com/SafeDriving.

That test is much easier than mine, and my redhill driving lessons are much harder too — which makes the national results all the more frightening.

Why is my test harder? Because, with a bow to Garrison Keillor, on Dyer Streets, all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking and all the drivers are above average.

Montoya Tells Martin To Get Driving Lessons After Hard Racing On Last Lap

Juan Pablo Montoya says veteran driver Mark Martin, who has 40 career Sprint Cup victories, needs driving lessons. We cant help Mark with his Sprint Cup, but if you need cheap redhill driving lessons then we can help you.

That’s what Martin said Montoya told him after Martin passed him for 15th on the final lap of the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

“He didn’t like the way I passed him there on the last lap, [saying] borderline stupid driving and suggested I take some smart driving lessons from him,” Martin said. “I’m not going to take no prisoners !

After the race, Martin parked his Hendrick Motorsports car on the side of the garage where Montoya’s Earnhardt Ganassi Racing hauler was parked and the two drivers had words before retreating to their respective haulers.

“I don’t understand,” Montoya said. “He just ran the [expletive] out of me on the last lap running for [expletive] 15th place.

“I gave him room out of [Turn] 4 and we got into Turn 1 and he got into my door and he nearly wrecked me and I nearly wrecked him in the process. We both lost.”

Before getting into a golf cart, Montoya was asked if he expected that out of Martin and he said, “I don’t care.”

Neither Martin nor Montoya have had a good season by their standards. Martin, who won five races and finished second in the standings in 2009, dropped a spot to 14th in the standings and is 37 points out of 12th with seven races left before the Chase For The Sprint Cup field is set.

Montoya, who made the Chase last year, remained 21st in the standings and is 242 points out of 12th.

Martin’s reaction to the incident and Montoya’s comments?

“Am I going to take some driving lessons?” Martin said with a smile that made it hard to judge whether he was serious or sarcastic. “Maybe I will. Maybe I need to drive a little smarter.”

Man arrested for drink-driving on tractor

A 38-year-old man has been arrested in Des Moines, Iowa after being caught drink-driving on his tractor. Here at m & m driving school surrey we don't teach you to drive tractors but if say you were to come out for your redhill driving lessons after having a good night out and the instructor could smell alcohol beath then you would not be able to have your lesson !

Robert Grimstad was picked up by officers at the crossing of 300th Street and Iowa Highway 17 near Madrid, the Des Moines Register reports.

Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr admitted that he did not know how fast Grimstad was travelling without his lights on the six-speed Bolens lawn tractor.

“I don’t know. How fast can a lawn mower go?” he said.

Fehr added that is an offence to drive any vehicle anywhere while under the influence of alcohol. When tested, Grimstad’s blood-alcohol concentration was found to be .190.

First time pass Seb, well done

Seb passed his test first time today after having regular redhill driving lessons with m & m driving school surrey.

He had 2 lessons every week and then took a mock test with another one of our instructors and finally took his test yesterday at Reigate test center and passed with only 5 minor faults.

Pass Plus will be his next goal as he really wants to cement his skills with the Pass Plus scheme and of course help with his car insurance premiums.

If you are looking to start you driving lessons the please contact us for you first three lessons at half price*

More than 1 in 5 Brit women apply make-up while driving

Many women have admitted that they use the rear-view mirror to apply make-up while driving, says a new study in the UK.

More than one-in-five women motorists have admitted that they regularly use the rear-view mirror to check their look.

And one in four said they have driven while wearing high-heel shoes. This is not the best foot where to have when taking your redhill driving lessons. Flat and or thin soled shoes are the required foot where.

As many as 2000 drivers were questioned for the poll.

“Multi-tasking is a trait often associated with women but doing it behind the wheel is extremely hazardous” the Daily Express quoted Claire Foster, a spokeswoman for Churchill as saying.

“Women get a lot of bad press for their driving skill.

“However, men can be dangerously distracted too,” she added.

Listening to sport radio is as risky as drink driving

Sports fans, who may currently be distracted by coverage of the World Cup and international cricket matches, may be putting themselves and the lives of others at risk.

The risk increases if the listener has an emotional attachment to a team or an interest in a particular outcome.

Reactions can be slowed by up to 20 per cent scientists at the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) found - adding a six metre stopping time if a car is travelling at 70mph.

The report said: “To put this into context, this increase in distance travelled is 10 per cent further than the additional stopping distance when driving with a blood alcohol level at the UK legal limit (80mg/ml).

The number of incidents of hard breaking at the last minute almost doubled when motorists were listening to sports commentary. Even while you are taking your redhill driving lessons you will see how much concentration it takes to maintain a good standard of driving. So be careful and be safe.