Lack of knowledge puts cheap car insurance at risk
Points on a driver's licence and even prison could be the consequence of a failure to remember the Highway Code.
An alarming number of Britons are putting their cheap car insurance at risk through their ignorance of road signs, it has been revealed.Research conducted by Moneysupermarket.com showed 65 per cent of motorists were unable to correctly identify the sign for 'no vehicles', while 62 per cent were incapable of recognising the marker for a zone with a minimum speed limit of 30mph.
Meanwhile, just three per cent of those questioned were able to identify five rules set out in the Highway Code.
According to Steve Sweeney, head of motor insurance at moneysupermarket.com, the survey highlights a worrying lack of awareness of the rules of the road which could have implications for cheap car insurance.
"Motorists are required by law to be able to recognise and adhere to the rules of the Highway Code," he commented.
"Any motorist found to be flouting the rules could be fined, given penalty points on their licence - or worse still, disqualified from driving altogether and sent to prison."
Other results of the survey include the fact that 23 per cent of motorists do not consider pedestrians to be their main priority when reversing into a side road, and that many drivers are unsure of the correct procedure when it comes to making a u-turn.
Just 23 per cent correctly said their first course of action should be to signal so that other drivers can slow down, with nine per cent saying their immediate reaction would be to give "arm signals" and 23 per cent choosing to look over their shoulder.
"It is all well and good learning the ins and outs of the Highway Code in order to pass the standard theory test, but the real test is the ability to recognise the meaning of the rules for years to come," Mr Sweeney concluded.
Motorists are likely to be tested if driving through central London after Boris Johnson officially opened a new Japanese-style road layout at Oxford Circus yesterday (November 2nd).
Written by Rosie May
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