Nearly all UK drivers could be at risk of failing a crucial driving test if they had been forced to retake it, according to a new study.
The report found that 95 per cent of drivers in the UK would have failed the driving theory test if they had been made to sit it again.
The study has now raised serious concerns about how well UK drivers know and have kept up with the Highway Code.
Direct Line quizzed drivers with 15 random questions from the DVSA theory test, with 13 correct answers needed to reach the 86 per cent pass threshold.
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The report found that drivers failed to keep up to date with the Highway Code rules
| PA/GETTYBut shockingly, just one per cent of drivers had achieved top scores, while only five per cent had managed to reach the level required to pass.
The results exposed striking gaps in driving knowledge, with only one in five drivers, representing around eight million motorists, knowing it was legal to overtake on either side of a one-way street, as set out in Rule 143 of the Highway Code.
Meanwhile, 41 per cent had correctly identified the "Cycle Route" road sign, equivalent to roughly 17 million drivers failing to recognise a basic symbol.
Less than half of drivers (49 per cent) understood when to use the right-hand lane on a three-lane dual carriageway.
Drivers failed to identify the "Cycle Route" road sign
| PARule 138 of the Highway Code makes it clear that the right-hand lane should only be used when overtaking or turning right, with the report detailing how 21 million drivers admitted they had not known the rule.
Stopping distances also proved challenging, with only 45 per cent correctly stating that travelling at 40mph required 36 metres to come to a halt.
The research has now suggested that the UK's driving population may not have been as "road ready" as many had assumed.
The theory test was introduced in July 1996. The research found that drivers who had passed before then were the most likely to fail the mock quiz, with 98 per cent falling short compared to 92 per cent of those who had been required to sit the theory test as part of their licence.
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Generational differences also emerged with Gen Z drivers aged 18 to 28 being the most likely to pass, with a 10 per cent success rate.
Millennials followed at nine per cent, Gen X at three per cent and Boomers at just two per cent. Young drivers were found to have the strongest results, reflecting the fact that they had studied the Highway Code more recently and had been more proactive in keeping up to date with changes.
Meanwhile, 77 per cent of Gen Z respondents said they had made an effort to stay informed, compared with only 45 per cent of Gen X and Boomers.
But despite more than half of drivers claiming they had kept up to date with the Highway Code, only 47 per cent had been able to correctly identify when it was last updated.
The report found that millions of drivers would fail their theory test if taken today
| PAMatt Pernet, Head of Motor Insurance at Direct Line, said: "The Highway Code covers safe and responsible driving behaviour on UK roads, and it is not just new drivers that need to know what is included.
"Staying up to date with the rules is vital, especially when changes are made which relate to the right of way and road signs."
He warned that the findings were a stark reminder that "many people were not keeping up to date with the latest rules" and that the report should serve as a "wake-up call to encourage all drivers to regularly refresh their knowledge".
The study suggested that millions of drivers had been on the road without a solid grasp of basic driving rules, which could lead to serious consequences for safety.