Finding out who are the real Highway Code stars

WE ALL have preconceived ideas about drivers of some car brands being awful and others being too cautious.

But to discover how true these motoring stereotypes are, leading vehicle leasing firm Vanarama has surveyed more than 1000 motorists to uncover who are the most and least knowledgeable when it comes to the Highway Code.

Participants were asked five questions relating to various aspects of the rules of the road and correct answers were scored as a percentage of overall responses and used to rank drivers.

And BMW drivers were found to be the worst, with just 28.8 per cent of their answers being correct, making them most susceptible to fines, penalty points or disqualification.

Four in every five BMW owners quizzed admitted to illegally undertaking other motorists, with only 22 per cent aware of the only permitted instance being on a one-way street.

Renault and Vauxhall owners also scored low on their knowledge of the regulations – achieving accurate answer averages of just 29.2 and 30.7 per cent respectively.

At the other end of the scale, Citroen owners appeared to have the most understanding of UK road rules, achieving a score of 40.5 per cent.

Mercedes-Benz and Honda drivers were hot on the heels for the top spot, ranking at second and third with scores of 40 and 38.8 per cent.

When it came to quiz results by profession, those in the hospitality trade were bottom of the table on 27.8 per cent.

But, surprisingly, emergency service workers

including paramedics, police and fire officers were not much better, only scoring 28.2 per cent.

Topping the job sector table for being most capable at the wheel were trades people, on 35 per cent, and transport workers, who averaged 34.4 per cent. The study questions, with answers in brackets, were: 1. Unbalanced wheels on a car may cause… (The steering to vibrate).

2. When travelling at 50mph on a dry road, what is the typical stopping distance? (53 metres/175 feet).

3. While driving, you spot a pedestrian with a dog wearing a yellow or burgundy coat. This especially warns you that the pedestrian is… (Deaf).

4. In which situation may you overtake another vehicle on the left? (On a one-way street).

5. There are red flashing lights above every lane on the motorway. What must you do? (Stop and wait).