National Drivers Test
Production
ProducerWarren Bush
Running time60 minutes
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseMay 24, 1965 (1965-05-24)

The National Drivers Test was an award-winning May 1965 documentary television special in the United States on CBS hosted by Walter Cronkite and Mike Wallace, with follow-up tests in 1966 and 1967.

The test was an audience participation format. Over 65 million test forms were distributed across the country by many various organizations, and was published in many newspapers. The New York Times quipped that "anyone who hasn't received a form by now must not belong to anything." About 30 million people took part in the test. The program was prepared in cooperation with the National Safety Council and sponsored by Shell Oil Company.

The program presented five segments (filmed near Tampa, Florida) of types of common accidents, performed by stunt drivers including Joie Chitwood. Test takers answered true or false questions, or multiple choice questions, about each scenario. 2,000 test takers took the test during the show in person in four CBS studios (New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles) for real-time electronic scoring.[1][2][3]

CBS President Fred W. Friendly decided to develop the special after he was compelled to take a drivers' education course due to having many traffic violations, and failed the test, as did executive director Warren Bush.[1]

The program first aired on May 24, 1965 (from 10pm to 11pm Eastern Time). It was the most viewed television program in the Nielsen Ratings for the two week May 24-June 6, 1965 period, with a 28.2 rating and 53 percent share.[4][5] While the show was very popular, it was not without detractors. Some viewers with small televisions complained that they could not clearly see road hazards in the driving scenarios, and quibbled with the wording of some questions. The average score in the four studio audiences was 51 out of 80—Associated Press reporter Cynthia Lowry blamed this poor showing on the presentation instead of drivers' abilities.[6]

Due to popular demand, including a reported desire of many test takers to improve their bad scores, the special was re-aired just before Labor Day 1965. Additional national tests were aired in 1966 (now in color, which CBS News had moved to)[7] and 1967. By the time of the third test, the New York Times noted that the material was getting a bit repetitious, even though the series was an important service.[8][9][10]

The program won a Peabody Award.[11]

The success of the program generated other CBS "test" programs, including "The National Citizenship Test" (November 1965) and "The National Health Test" (January 1966).[12][13]

References

  1. 1 2 Adams, Val (23 May 1965). Drivers' Test At Home, The New York Times (paywall)
  2. ↑ Biggers, Buck (28 March 1977). NBC Picks Mayday for test on survival, San Bernardino Sun
  3. ↑ McKinlay, Archibald (13 November 2011). Rooney was one of a kind - not unusual at CBS, The Times of Northwest Indiana
  4. ↑ Wolhandler, Joe. From Zero to 31,000,000 - Building an Audience For "The National Drivers' Test", Public Relations Journal, Vol. 21, No. 8, August 1965, pp. 18-19
  5. ↑ Lowry, Cynthia (25 June 1965). Les Crane Is Getting Another Chance on TV, Ogdensburg Journal (Associated Press story)
  6. ↑ Lowry, Cynthia (26 May 1965). Drivers' Test Intention Good; Execution Fuzzy, Ogdensburg Journal (Associated Press)
  7. ↑ (19 May 1966). Flash, Duchesne Eagle
  8. ↑ Lowry, Cynthia (25 May 1966). Second CBS Drivers Test Entertaining, Informative, Santa Cruz Sentinel (Associated Press)
  9. ↑ Gould, Jack (24 May 1967). TV: Quiz for Motorists - 3d C.B.S. Drivers Test Again Stresses Precautions That Might Cut Deaths, The New York Times, p. 95
  10. ↑ Second Chance, Safety Review (Vol. 24, No. 12, Dec. 1967), p. 8 (reporting that the 1967 test was being rebroadcast on December 5, 1967)
  11. ↑ The National Drivers' Test, Peabodyawards.com
  12. ↑ Adams, Val (6 December 1965). C.B.S. To Present Health Test Next, The New York Times (paywall) ("Viewers who failed 'The National Drivers Test' or 'The National Citizenship Test' will have another chance when the Columbia Broadcasting System televises 'the National Health Test' on Jan. 13 from 10 to 11 P.M.")
  13. ↑ Gould, Jack (24 November 1965). TV: An Absorbing Test on Citizenship, The New York Times (paywall)
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