Majority of Alberta drivers don’t know rules of the road: survey

CALGARY _ Do you have any idea what time of day you are required by law to use your headlights?

How far can your wheels be from the curb when parallel parking and what is the meaning of that white diamond in the lane up ahead?

If you don't know, you are among friends in Alberta.

A study of drivers in the province suggests most of the people behind the wheel don't know the rules. The University of Calgary survey found 89 per cent of drivers failed a knowledge test modelled after the standard learner's permit exam.

``We should be alarmed because there are people driving on the road not knowing the rules,'' said researcher Sabreena Anowar.

A total of 2,394 Albertans were quizzed on everything from merging and right of way to the meanings of road markings and signs, safe following distances and what to do if a vehicle skids.

More than 80 per cent of those tested reported having more than 10 years of driving experience and nearly 10 per cent said they had five to 10 years experience.

There were 30 questions on the test. A pass was 25 correct answers, or 83.3 per cent.

That figure was out of reach for most of those who took part in the survey.

``The overall average score was around 22 so it's way below the pass percentage,'' said Anowar.

``More than 80 per cent of people failed, so it means that people do not remember the rules of the road while they drive. It's quite shocking.

``We need to help people not only learn the rules of the road but also to retain and refresh their knowledge even after they have passed their knowledge test.''

The survey was commissioned by the Alberta Motor Association Foundation for Traffic Safety.

``It's clear from this research that most Alberta drivers could benefit from a regular review of the rules of the road,'' said Scott Wilson, senior policy analyst with the Alberta Motor Association.

``We will use these survey results to encourage a review of current driver education programs and how to make driver testing and licensing more effective.''

There were some groups that did better than the norm.

``Males did better and ones with professional and motorcycle licences did better than the ones driving passenger cars,'' Anowar explained. ``We also found that younger people did (better) than older people which is quite expected because, with age, the knowledge gets deteriorated.''

There are reasons for men doing better, she suggested.

``Males tend to drive a lot more than women so they gain more experience. They start driving at a younger age and that superimposes their experience. Also there have been findings that males do better in the multiple-choice questions.''

The unflattering report comes out the same week a survey released by insurance giant Allstate painted Albertans as the most distracted drivers in the country.

Just for the record, headlights must be used starting one hour after sunset and until one hour before sunrise, and any time drivers cannot see 150 metres ahead.

A vehicle's wheels must be no more than 50 centimetres from the curb when parallel parking.

And the diamond means a lane is reserved for specific vehicles.