There’s no doubt that driving can be dangerous, and there are many things you can do to make it safer. But there are also a lot of myths out there that can lead to injuries or death on the road. Below, we’ll break down the 15 deadliest myths that drivers need to know about car safety:

15 Dumb Car Myths BUSTED

Takeaways
1. Don’t believe everything you hear about car safety. Be sure to separate fact from fiction when it comes to staying safe on the road.
2. Hybrid cars can save you money on fuel costs over time and are better for the environment. Consider making the switch to an electric or hybrid vehicle.
3. If you’re driving in winter weather, take extra precautions to stay safe on the road. This includes preparing your vehicle, driving slowly, and avoiding sudden movements.
4. Regular car maintenance is crucial for safe and efficient driving. Keep your fluids and tires up to date and address any issues promptly.
5. Hot cars can be dangerous, but some common myths about hot car safety are not true. Always take precautions to prevent heat-related injuries and never leave a child or pet in a hot car.

It’s Safe To Pull Over And Rest, If You Are Sleepy

You can’t pull over to rest. You can’t pull over to nap. You can’t pull over and sleep, either.

You need to be alert at all times when you’re driving, even if you feel like your eyelids are getting heavy or your head keeps nodding forward into your chest.

If you find yourself nodding off while driving, pull over immediately and take a break until the feeling passes–and then make sure that the car is in park before going back on the road!

Hybrid cars are not only environmentally friendly but can also save you money. According to our article on 15 Reasons Why Hybrid Cars Are Better for the Environment and Your Wallet, driving a hybrid car can result in significant savings on fuel costs in the long run.

It’s Okay To Leave Your Child In The Car For A Short Run

Don’t leave your child in the car. It’s hot, it’s dangerous, and it’s illegal.
Don’t leave pets in cars either! (And definitely don’t leave them with the engine running.)

If you must bring a pet or child with you on errands, try not to do so during peak hours when temperatures are highest–and always make sure they have access to water and shade if necessary.

Airbags Can Protect You From All Kinds Of Crashes

Airbags are designed to help protect occupants in frontal crashes, but they don’t do much for side, rear and rollover accidents. If a car is involved in an accident where the vehicle is rotated or overturned (i.e., when the car rolls over), airbags may inflate with too much force and cause serious injury instead of preventing harm.

Airbags also can deploy too early or incorrectly due to factors such as defective sensors or other problems with the deployment system itself.

If your airbag deploys before you’re ready for it–or if it doesn’t deploy at all–you could be seriously injured by flying shrapnel from broken glass fragments that were propelled toward your face by high pressure gas powering up inside the bag itself!

Smaller Vehicles Are Safer Than Larger Ones

The idea that smaller vehicles are safer than larger ones is one of the most pervasive myths in the car safety world.

It’s true that smaller vehicles, like compact cars and subcompacts, are involved in more accidents than larger ones–but this isn’t because they’re less safe. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: smaller cars tend to have fewer safety features and less stability overall.

Smaller vehicles also tend to roll over more easily because of their lower center of gravity (the point at which gravity acts upon them).

This means they’re less stable when driving on uneven surfaces or turning corners at high speeds–and since most people don’t spend their days driving on perfectly flat roads with no bumps or dips whatsoever (I hope), this means there’s a higher chance you’ll be involved in an accident if you drive a small car rather than a large one!

Plus, remember how we talked about vehicle size earlier? Well here’s another reason why bigger might be better: kids!

Children are much safer traveling inside larger vehicles because they can absorb impact better due to their size; plus, those extra inches offer added protection against side impacts as well!

Curious about the latest developments in the world of electric cars? You won’t want to miss our article on The Top Electric Car Models to Keep an Eye on in 2023, which provides a comprehensive overview of some of the most anticipated electric car models expected to hit the market next year.

You Don’t Need A Car Seat If They Are In A Booster

A booster seat is a restraint system that raises the child so the seat belt fits properly. It’s not a substitute for a car seat, though–you should always use one until age 8 or until they reach 4’9″ tall, whichever comes first.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using boosters with children who weigh between 40 and 100 pounds (18-45 kg), even if they aren’t technically big enough yet to fit in just their regular seatbelt without one.

The reason? Children are safest when they’re secured by both lap and shoulder belts in all vehicles, including large ones like SUVs or vans; this allows them to be held tightly against their seats rather than being thrown into other passengers if there’s an accident.

But even if you have one of these larger vehicles and your child does meet all requirements for riding without restraints (lap only), it doesn’t mean he’ll be safe enough without additional help from something like a highback booster or backless version

My Car Has Airbags So I Don’t Need A Seatbelt

Airbags are only meant to protect you from frontal impacts. They’re not designed to cushion side and rear crashes, which can cause serious injuries even if you wear a seatbelt. In fact, airbags can actually increase your risk of injury in these types of crashes if they deploy too early or with too much force.

This is especially true for small passengers who aren’t wearing seatbelts–and who may be positioned near the dashboard when an accident occurs–as well as larger people who sit close enough to be exposed to dangerous shrapnel if an airbag goes off nearby their head or upper body area.

Seatbelts are still the most effective way available today for preventing injuries during an accident; however, some recent research suggests that newer technology like automatic braking systems could soon become more important than ever before at protecting us during collisions (this includes both front-end impacts as well as side/rear ones).

Observation	Data
Purpose of airbags	To supplement seatbelts in the event of a crash
When airbags deploy	Upon impact with an object during a crash
Role of seatbelts	To keep occupants in their seat and prevent ejection from the vehicle
Effectiveness of airbags	Can reduce the risk of fatal injury by up to 14%
Effectiveness of seatbelts	Can reduce the risk of fatal injury by up to 45%
How airbags work	By inflating rapidly with gas to create a cushion between occupants and the vehicle’s interior
Limitations of airbags	Can cause injury or death if occupants are too close to the airbag when it deploys
How seatbelts work	By distributing force across stronger areas of the body, such as the pelvis and chest
Importance of wearing a seatbelt	To prevent being thrown from the vehicle and to absorb energy from a crash
US state seatbelt laws	All states except New Hampshire have mandatory seatbelt laws for front seat passengers

All-Wheel-Drive Vehicles Are Safer Than Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles

All-wheel drive is not safer than two-wheel drive. All-wheel drive vehicles are heavier and often have higher center of gravity, which makes them more dangerous in a collision. They also typically have poorer braking performance and are less stable during acceleration.

If you’re looking for a vehicle that handles well in bad weather, look for one with traction control or stability control (either will do). These systems help you maintain control over your car when it starts to slip on ice or snow

With the numerous benefits of electric cars, there’s never been a better time to make the switch. Check out our article on The Top 10 Reasons to Make the Switch to an Electric Car Today to learn more about how electric cars can save you money, benefit the environment, and enhance your driving experience.

My Phone Is Hands Free So I Can Use It While Driving

You may be aching to get your hands on your phone. But the truth is that using it while driving is not safe at all.

The best thing you can do is to use hands-free technology like bluetooth or speakerphone, which will still allow you to chat with friends and family without having to touch the phone at all. If someone calls or texts, just let them know that you’re driving and can’t answer right now–and then call them back when it’s safe for both of you!

Don’t text and drive either! This one should go without saying but we’ll say it anyway: don’t text while behind the wheel (or even near).

Hands free doesn’t mean completely safe; there are still plenty of ways for accidents like this one happen if people aren’t careful about how they use their phones while driving:

Its Okay To Drive With Expired Tags Or Registration.

This is a common misconception that many people believe. The fact is, if you are driving with expired tags or registration, it’s more likely that police will pull you over and issue you a ticket. You also run the risk of getting into an accident because of these conditions. Not only does this cost money but it can also put lives at risk.

Keeping your vehicle in top condition is crucial for safe and efficient driving. Our article on The Top 15 Car Maintenance Tips for Keeping Your Vehicle Safe on the Road offers expert advice on everything from checking your tires and brakes to maintaining your fluids and battery, helping you keep your car running smoothly and safely on the road.

Always Pump Your Brakes In Case Of Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)

If you’re driving a car with anti-lock brakes (ABS), it’s tempting to pump the brake pedal when your car begins to skid. But doing this can cause some serious problems:

Pumping the brakes will make them overheat and wear out faster.
Pumping can also activate the ABS system, which controls how fast your wheels lock up as you stop and may make it difficult for you to regain control of your vehicle once you’ve started skidding.

Observation	Data
Purpose of Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)	To prevent wheels from locking up during hard braking
How ABS works	By pulsing the brakes on and off rapidly
Effectiveness of ABS	Can improve stopping distance by up to 30%
When to pump your brakes with ABS	When driving on loose surfaces, such as gravel or snow
Why pump your brakes with ABS	To create a wedge of material that helps slow down your vehicle
Consequence of not pumping brakes with ABS	Braking on loose surfaces without pumping brakes can result in longer stopping distances and loss of control
Recommended following distance with ABS	4 seconds or more
ABS equipped vehicles on US roads	84% of registered passenger vehicles (as of 2014)

Cars Can Drive Themselves So We Don’t Have To Pay Attention

A self-driving car is a vehicle that has been modified to allow for autonomous operation. You may have heard that these cars are safer than conventional vehicles because they don’t get distracted, make mistakes or drive drunk.

But while self-driving technology is still in its infancy, there’s no guarantee that it will be safe enough to replace human drivers anytime soon.

Self-driving vehicles have already been involved in accidents on public roads where other driver error was involved — like when an Uber accident killed a pedestrian earlier this year — and researchers have found that self-driving cars are more likely than human drivers to accelerate suddenly or brake too fast because they lack intuition about how humans behave behind the wheel (which means they might not know when someone else is going too fast).

Self-driving cars also struggle with inclement weather conditions such as rain and snow because they rely on lidar sensors instead of visual cues like headlights or traffic lights; this makes sense since humans learn how their surroundings look at different times throughout the day but machines don’t yet have this capability built into their programming yet either!

Winter weather can pose a lot of challenges to drivers, but proper preparation can help keep you safe on the road. Our article on How to Stay Safe on the Road During the Winter: Expert Tips and Tricks offers a comprehensive guide to winter driving, including how to prepare your vehicle, navigate icy roads, and avoid common winter driving hazards.

Truck Drivers Take Up The Whole Roadway When They Change Lanes (or are driving down the road)

When you see a truck on the road, it’s easy to think they’re taking up more than their fair share of space. But that’s not the case at all! Trucks are heavier and longer than cars, so they need more room to make turns and brake safely.

They also have longer stopping distances due to their increased weight–and if you know anything about physics (or have ever seen how fast an 18-wheeler can go), then you know this means drivers will need even more time before hitting their brakes hard enough for them not only stop but stop safely as well.

Because trucks take up so much more space than cars do on average (about twice as much), drivers often try making tight turns or cutting off other vehicles while switching lanes; however this increases the risk factor associated with driving around large vehicles like semi trucks or delivery vans by increasing chances of rear-ending them while changing lanes/turning corners etcetera…

Observation	Data
Road width	12 feet
Width of a semi-truck	8.5 feet
Width of a car	6 feet
Space required for a semi to change lanes	Approximately 13 – 16 feet
Space remaining on the road for other vehicles when a semi changes lanes	Approximately 2 – 3 feet
Leading cause of truck accidents	Improper lane changes
Recommended following distance behind a semi-truck	At least 4 seconds
Common blind spot area on a semi-truck	Directly behind the trailer

Note: Data may vary slightly depending on the specific types of vehicles involved.

Conclusion

The car is one of the safest modes of transportation we have, but it’s still important to be aware of the common myths that can put you at risk.

By knowing what not to do when driving, you can avoid accidents and keep yourself safe on the road!

FAQs

How can I keep my car running smoothly?

Regular checkups and maintenance can help keep your car running smoothly. This includes checking and replacing your fluids, keeping your tires inflated, and addressing any issues promptly.

How important is it to wear a seatbelt while driving?

Wearing a seatbelt is essential for safe driving and can help prevent serious injuries in the event of an accident.

Can I safely use my phone while driving?

No, using your phone while driving is dangerous and can result in distracted driving, which is a leading cause of car accidents.

Is it okay to speed if I’m in a hurry?

No, speeding is never safe and can increase the risk of accidents and injuries. It’s important to obey speed limits and prioritize safety over convenience.

What should I do if my car overheats?

If your car overheats, you should pull over to a safe location and turn off your engine. Allow your car to cool down before attempting to drive it again, and seek the help of a professional mechanic if necessary.