Facts Fiction Driving Myths Busted Part 2

By Simon
General
Driving schools in Queens can help you learn how to get out on the road, but there are some things that you might need to know that aren’t covered in a classroom.  Urban legends are at the root of a number of misconceptions around what is actually safe and true about driving a car. Don’t wait until you’re done with driving schoolsin Queens before you learn the truth about common driving myths, with Part Two of our three-part series.
  • Myth: Building roads or adding lanes will decrease commute times.
    • Most people, when thinking about solutions for heavy congestion and traffic, often wonder why another lane or exit can’t just be added. Unfortunately, there is a concept called the fundamental law of highway congestion. When you add more lanes to a road or highway, the number of people that will use that road will also increase proportionally.  So, if you increase the size of a road by 10%, you will see the number of drivers on the road increase 10%. When you increase the width or number of roads in a highly-congested area, the number of people that will want to use the road will also increase, and make it hard for you to get to your destination.
  • Myth: Manual cars are more fuel-efficient.
    • This myth has a long history, and at one point, it was probably true. When automatic transmissions first came out, the technology wasn’t there to make them fuel-efficient.  Manual transmissions that allowed you to shift between gears as needed gave your car a boost, giving you more bang for your buck. Today automatic transmissions are more advanced, and have additional gears that make their fuel efficiency on level, and sometimes, even better than their manual counterparts. While automatic transmissions are now just as fuel efficient as manual ones, the model and brand of your car has a greater effect on the fuel efficiency, which you should also consider.
  • Myth: Hands-free cell phones are safer on the road.
    • While polls have shown that 80% of drivers think that hands-free devices and Bluetooth speakers are safer than handheld devices, the evidence is clear that this is a myth. Over the pasts few years, over 30 studies have shown that hands-free devices are not safer. The problem with cell phones isn’t that they’re in your hand, but that your mind is being distracted, and not focused on the road.  While we all like to think that we’re great multitaskers, when you’re driving, having your attention only focused on the road can prevent you from injuring yourself and others.
Learning the truth can help keep you and your fellow drivers safe out on the road, but not if you don’t have a license.  Drive Rite Driving School can help you become an educated and confident driver! Call us today to scheduleyour 5-hour pre-licensing course. And remember to look for Part Three of our Driving Myths series!

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