There are a million (or so) great things I can say about New Jersey, and I have. In fact, I discuss how New Jersey is the cradle of American innovation in an upcoming article. We’re pretty awesome…but there’s always room for growth. One area we might want to improve on is driving. While I think we’re great drivers, a variety of studies indicate otherwise. I’ve got the info below, along with photos of awesome vintage and classic cars to ease the blow.

The GMAC Insurance National Driver's Test features 20 questions from actual DMV tests across the nation.
Bill Barber/Flickr
Over 5,000 people took this test each year until 2011. The results showed that about 16.4% of Americans do not know the rules of the road.
_salguod/Flickr
The most recent results available show that New Jersey drivers fared worst on that test several years in a row.
Josar Photos/Flickr
People got hung up on what it means when there is a solid yellow line on one side of the center line, the safe distance to maintain behind another car, and what type of lights to use when driving in the fog.
Sv1ambo/Flickr

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Other states that didn't perform well on this test include New York, Washington DC, Massachusetts, and Georgia.
Joes2005/Flickr
So, we're the worst drivers IN THEORY, based on a test. However, we're not so bad in practice.
It's No Game/Flickr
In fact, we're pretty good! A 2019 SmartAsset study ranked state drivers from worst to best and Garden State drivers didn't even make the top 10 (worst).
Tom Ellis/Flickr
We were actually ranked 11th BEST!
A S Morton/Flickr
This was based on the percentage of insured drivers, the number of driving under the influence (DUI) arrests per 1,000 drivers, the number of fatalities per 100,000 vehicle miles driven and how often residents Google terms like “traffic ticket” or “speeding ticket.”
Al Fritz/Flickr

What can we learn from this? While tests may say we’re the worst drivers, tests may not be a good indicator of actual skill level! Share your thoughts (and vintage car photos!) with us in the comments.

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