75% of drivers would fail test re-sit

The alarming findings were revealed by What Car? Magazine, which put 20 experienced drivers with a total of 416 years' behind the wheel, to retake a driving test.

As many as 75% of them failed, with one candidate heading the wrong way down a one-way street and many driving too fast. Others signalled incorrectly, late or not at all.

The survey also revealed that, although nearly four in five drivers reckoned standards were getting worse, only 31% admitted their own behind-the-wheel performance was below par.

What Car? editor Steve Fowler said: "It's no surprise driver error is partly responsible for 95% of car accidents in the UK. We see examples of bad driving every day on our roads, but most people think they are perfectly safe behind the wheel.

"Every year more than 3,200 people die on our roads and 28,000 are seriously injured. So it's about time we all took responsibility for our own standard of driving."

BSM driving school road safety consultant Robin Cummins said: "Too much emphasis is placed on the outcome of the driving test, which means learners only want to be taught how to pass the test, not how to drive well.

"We believe the test should be at least one hour long, which would allow it to include the types of roads on which drivers most commonly travel."

The top five reasons for failing the driving test in the WhatCar? study included old favourites such reversing round corners, reverse parking and inadequate use of mirrors when signaling.

Stay Safe, Keep Moving

Meanwhile, motorway users have highlighted middle lane drivers as their number one "irritation" on the road.

To raise awareness of the problem, the Highways Agency has launched a DVD entitled 'Stay Safe, Keep Moving'.

Drivers are urged to keep to their left hand lane if the road ahead is clear and to return to the left-hand lane once they have overtaken or if there is traffic queuing up behind.

Stuart Lovatt, safety action plan co-ordinator at the Highways Agency, said: "The Highways Agency operates 4,800 miles of motorway and trunk road. Middle lane driving and lane hogging means that during peak times some of this is not fully used, leading to congestion.

"The centre and outer lane are for overtaking. Everyone should be using the left hand lane when it is free, making best use of the full road and reducing congestion."

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, added: "The middle-lane hog and outside lane blocker are selfish drivers who waste hundreds of miles of motorway. It can take ten years to build an extra motorway lane, but we could, in effect, add hundreds of miles overnight if motorists improved their lane discipline.

"Poor lane discipline wastes the scarce resource of road capacity, encourages road rage and leads to dangerous tailgating. In the late 50's and early 60's 'courtesy cops' advised drivers how to use the lanes on the new dual carriageways and motorways. We need to practice more courtesy on the motorways today, in order not to hold up those in a greater hurry than ourselves."