Smarter people are more likely to fail their driving test first go

It took me three attempts to finally get my driver's licence, a fact my three younger siblings, all of whom nailed it first go, like to remind me of often.

A recent survey, conducted by Privilege DriveXpert car insurance found that "smarter" people are more likely to fail their test on their first try.

As part of the survey, the organisation questioned 1,570 drivers, finding that 59 per cent of those with no academic qualifications passed their test first go.

Did you study maths and science at university? Well, compared to your arts and culture studying counterparts who got their P plates in 1.9 tries, it took you, on average, 2.3 times to ditch the Learners.

And, if you've got a master's or post-graduate degree, it also took you 1.9 attempts to get those coveted plates.

So what exactly is the relationship between intelligence and driving ability? 

Psychology lecturer, Dr Lee Hadlington told Prima that the differences might be related to the various skill-sets people have, rather than smarts per se.  Driving, he explained is a "procedural" task, which requires a whole lot of co-ordination.

"This is a lot different to the skill-set we use when studying for a formal qualification such as a degree," Dr Hadlington said. "It might be that those individuals who are better at procedural-based activities are in professions that also require those same skills, hence they don't have formal academic qualifications such as degrees."

"This research demonstrates a link with academic and professional success and passing the driving test," she said.

So if, like me, you were stuck catching the bus while your mates were all getting their licences, you can take heart - you were simply too smart for your own good.