Motorists forget essential techniques learned during their driving lessons over time, according to the AA.
Around half of all UK drivers would fail their test if they had to take it again tomorrow, stark new figures from a car insurance provider showed today.
The AA poll also found that, typically, motorists forget essential driving skills and theory just a year after originally passing their test. This could greatly contribute to overall accident rates and car insurance claims, due to the "deskilling" process that comes to drivers over time in this way.
Official government figures also suggest that the road safety problem in the UK remains serious. Over 3,000 people die on the roads each year, with thousands more seriously injured in road accidents.
Edmund King, AA president, commented: "Having passed your driving test it is easy to forget the key skills that qualify you to be on the road in the first place. Drivers, young or old, often lose confidence if they don't drive frequently."
He added: "While driving on a regular basis does help build experience, it can also become routine and essential skills can begin to slip."
The top five techniques the car insurance provider found that motorists were most likely to have forgotten were parallel parking, understanding road signs, reverse parking, clutch control and using their mirrors properly, in that order.
