For the most part, everyone on the road wants to do their best. Most people believe that they’re driving safely, after all, and that they have control of their car. However, there are plenty of driving myths out there, especially revolving around safety. Today, we’ll bust down a few of these old myths and help you figure out what you should really be doing to be your safest.
As Cars.com explains:
“Myth: Talking on a hands-free headset while driving is a safe alternative to holding a cellphone.
Truth: We're not going to debate the lesser of two evils. Here are the facts: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that one in 12 18- to 24-year-olds on the road at any given time is also on a cellphone. One-quarter of all police-reported accidents are caused by driver distraction, and cellphones play a significant role. The culprit isn't holding a cellphone or one-armed driving; it's taking your mind off the task at hand: safely piloting 3,000 pounds of steel to your intended destination. A headset does nothing to mitigate this; pull over or put it away. Enough said.
Myth: You don't have to wear a seat belt when you're sitting in the backseat.
Truth: Few people explicitly advocate this, but actions speak louder than words: Fewer than half of all rear-seat passengers wear seat belts, compared with the 80 percent average for all vehicle occupants, according to NHTSA. There are two risks that unbelted backseat passengers can incur: First, they're unable to take full advantage of the vehicle's safety features, and accidents — especially rollovers — put them at high risk. Second, they become projectiles toward others during the collision, increasing the likelihood of injury among their fellow occupants.
Myth: Keep your doors unlocked so rescuers can get you out after an accident.
Truth: This seems reasonable, right? No. Unlocked doors are more likely to open during a collision and allow occupant ejection — and ejections kill 10,000 people each year. The doors in many modern vehicles automatically unlock following airbag deployment, and even if they remain locked, rescuers can break the windows to get to passengers. This is a far better prospect than tracking down victims ejected during the impact.”
Read the original article and get more car myths here: http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=yd&subject=yd_myth&story=ydMyths
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