ADAC test: Large knowledge gaps in traffic rules

Created: 07/16/2022, 17:00

By: Niklas Hecht

A survey by the ADAC reveals large knowledge gaps among drivers in Hesse.

Only three percent of the participants were almost always right.

Hesse - "What lateral distance do you have to keep when overtaking pedestrians and cyclists?" Can you answer this question correctly?

Then you belong to a minority of Hessian drivers.

Because: In the large ADAC survey "Autofahrerwissen 2022", only 32 percent of those surveyed in Hesse stated that cars had to keep a distance of at least one and a half meters to pedestrians and cyclists in urban areas and at least two meters away from urban areas.

The ADAC published these and other results of its survey on the knowledge level of German drivers last week.

And the results have it all.

On average, only two percent of the representatively selected respondents were able to answer more than 80 percent of the test questions correctly, as reported by fnp.de.

Motorists in Hesse: ADAC respondents show large gaps in knowledge

The Hessian motorists surveyed also revealed serious knowledge gaps.

Only three percent of the Hessians were able to answer more than 80 percent of the questions correctly.

More than three-quarters of those questioned received a maximum of 12 out of the 20 points to be achieved. The Hessians had the greatest deficits when it came to questions on the subjects of mandatory labeling in environmental zones, telephoning while driving and the use of fog lights.

• Only 

  12 percent 

  of Hessian drivers answered the question about using their mobile phone while driving correctly

• Only

   34 percent

   of Hessian motorists were able to say that the zipping process should be used when the lane ends or is not fully passable due to an obstacle

• Only 

  26 percent

   of Hessian drivers knew that fog lights can also be switched on in snow and rain if visibility is significantly impaired

• Only

  7 percent

  of Hessian motorists knew which cars are subject to a labeling requirement in a designated environmental zone

• Only

  33 percent

  of Hessian drivers knew which speed rules apply when overtaking

ADAC survey: Drivers from Lower Saxony perform better than Hesse

On the other hand, the Hessians achieved good results in important safety issues, such as the correct distance to the vehicle in front or the question of how long it takes for alcohol to break down in the blood.

Here, 88 percent knew that 1.0 per thousand alcohol only disappeared completely from the bloodstream after about ten hours.

With an average of 9.8 correct answers, Hessen was above the national average of 9.7 correct answers.

The drivers surveyed from Lower Saxony achieved the best result, with an average of 10.3 correct answers.

According to the ADAC, it was striking that those drivers who stated that they were well versed in the traffic rules did particularly poorly in the survey.

Young drivers, on the other hand, who had only obtained their driving license in the past two years, would have had significantly fewer problems answering the questions than people with a driving license that was more than 20 years old.

The Automobile Club therefore advises regularly refreshing your knowledge of traffic rules and correct driving behavior – also because many rules change over time.

A majority of Germans go even further and, according to a survey by AutoScout24, would even like to see senior citizens checked for their fitness to drive on a regular basis.

In a survey by the ADAC, Hessian drivers revealed large gaps in their knowledge of traffic regulations.

© IMAGO / Future Image

ADAC: Participants had to answer original questions from the theory test

For the “Autofahrerwissen 2022” survey, the ADAC spoke to 3,547 representatively selected people aged 17 and over who held a driver’s license.

At least 200 people from each federal state were interviewed.

The requirement was that the respondents drive at least three days a year.

In this way, people were also selected who rarely sit at the wheel, but who need to be just as aware of the traffic regulations as they are for frequent drivers.

The respondents had to answer 20 original questions from the driving license theory test.

(Niklas Hecht)