THE vast majority of UK drivers - about 65 per cent - are certain they would fail the driving theory test if they took it today.

A new survey from breakdown service Autonational Rescue shows that a worrying 76 per cent of women drivers say they would fail and 57 per cent of male drivers.

They were all asked sample questions from the driving theory test, with the following results:

Question 1: What is the shortest overall stopping distance on a dry road from 60mph?

Sixty per cent of all motorists got it wrong or simply did not know from a list of options provided. Thirteen per cent thought it was just 175 ft (53 metres). The answer is 240 ft (73 metres)

Question 2: What is the national speed limit for cars and motorcycles on a dual carriageway?

Sixty per cent of all motorists got it wrong or didn't know. Forty per cent got it right. The answer is 70mph.

Marketing manager of Autonational Rescue, Ronan Hart, said: "Our survey highlighted just how hard parts of the driving theory test can be and it shows that even the most experienced motorists have some things to learn. Road sign knowledge was particularly poor and it presents a strong case for a new Driving Standards Agency campaign to help improve our understanding of road signs."

The reason why residential areas speed limits are low, is that at 30mph you travel 45 feet each second. So by the time you have blinked you have already exceeded the braking distance, never mind the thinking distance!