Below is a list of top motoring myths according to reseach by the RAC Foundation and Tesco Personal Finance (listed on uk.cars.yahoo.com/features/motoring-myths/ ).
1. Men are better drivers than women
Sorry, lads. You may think you can handle a car like Michael Schumacher but, on every measure, women are better drivers. Women are involved in fewer accidents, commit fewer motoring offences and are more likely to pass their driving test at the first attempt. As a result, most women benefit by paying lower insurance premiums.
2. Traffic cops play `speed snooker'
Here's how this Pot Black inspired myth goes. When police officers monitor speed traps, they target colours in turn: first a red car, then a blue maybe, back to a red and so on. As a result, drivers of red cars are more likely to be stopped for speeding. Fortunately for red car drivers, there's never been any evidence found that these antics take place.
3. Traffic cops launch a missile
Two traffic cops were monitoring speeding cars with hand-held radar guns. Suddenly they clocked an object approaching at 300 mph. By chance, they had locked their guns onto an over-flying military aircraft and launched one of its missiles. For a number of scientific and operational reasons, this is impossible.
4. Avoid paying your fine
Have you heard the one about the double-bluff way to avoid points on your license? If you send a cheque for more than the amount of the fine, the issuing authority has to refund the difference. If you don't cash the cheque they send back, they can't add the points to your license because the full transaction isn't complete. Because of their heavy workload pressures, they don't pursue the matter, so you avoid the penalty. This is of course wrong; your licence would be endorsed regardless, and failure to pay a fine can lead to more serious trouble.
5. You can outrun a speed camera
In theory, you could outrun a speed camera by driving at more than 172mph. However, few cars are capable of such speeds and anyone daft enough to try deserves to lose their licence.
6. You can't get in trouble for driving too slowly
Not true. A number of people have been stopped and charged for driving too slowly. If a police officer thinks your driving is putting others at risk - by encouraging risky overtaking, say - you can be booked.
7. Reflective number plates can beat speed cameras
The myth says that a certain type of reflective number plate is impossible to photograph, enabling offenders to avoid speed camera photos. Tests have shown that no known number plate can do such a thing.
8. You can't be booked if caught speeding in a hire car
Again, not true. If you're caught on camera, the hire company will pass your details onto the police for them to deal with you directly. The same applies if you pick up a parking ticket while driving a hire car.
9. A police officer must be wearing a hat to book you
It may have been true once, but no longer. So long as a police officer is recognisable as such, you can be booked.
10. No claims losses
Some people believe that, if you make an insurance claim, you lose your entire no-claims bonus. This is not true. Most insurers will reduce your no- claims bonus by a proportion. For example, if you have seven years no- claims and then make a claim you usually lose only two years.
11. You'll automatically fail your driving test if you stall the car
Not true. The test examiner is assessing your ability to drive safely, complete certain manoeuvres and demonstrate that you understand the Highway Code. As long as you correctly handle the car once it's stalled, you should be ok.
Do you know of any other ones?
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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>> Do you know of any other ones?
A Mondeo Diesel isn't necessarily the best car for everyone....
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A Mondeo Diesel isn't necessarily the best car for everyone....
It is for anyone who can't be bothered to make up their own mind and end up writing to the BR to find out what anyone else thinks...
Splodgeface
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The airforce one actually happened but a missle never launched. The ECM knackered the laser gun though.
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Ex copper mate of mine confesses to #2 during his time in the force in the early eighties.
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I've spoken to 2 traffic cops and they have all kinds of variation around the snooker games...but at the end of the day do not book anyone unfairly, or overlook booking someone because their car is the wrong colour...
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In the "horse's mouth" version I heard the copper's "break" is over when a driver manages to produce a full set of documentation. I've been known to carry all my documentation with me on some long journeys for that specific purpose, particularly in my black* car.
(* black from a distance - close inspection reveals it to actually be green... sorry officer, 7 points become 3. Actually, if I was really that cheeky my 3 points would probably become 7)
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Life is complex; it has real and imaginary parts.
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What?s the one about the place in Scotland where if you stop and release the handbrake you actually roll uphill because of the gravitational pull of a nearby mountain?
Anybody hear that or did I dream it?
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What?s the one about the place in Scotland where if you stop and release the handbrake you actually roll uphill because of the gravitational pull of a nearby mountain? Anybody hear that or did I dream it?
You'll be thinking of
www.mcintyre.demon.co.uk/local/electbrae.htm
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"You'll be thinking of
www.mcintyre.demon.co.uk/local/electbrae.htm"
There's something very similar on the Lightwater bypass just south of M3 J3. Sitting in a traffic jam on it, clearly facing downhill, and the car started to roll backwards. Very weird. Surprised the bloke in the queue behind me, too.
V
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5. You can outrun a speed camera In theory, you could outrun a speed camera by driving at more than 172mph. However, few cars are capable of such speeds
Some are ;-)
and anyone daft enough to try deserves to lose their licence.
Ah. Yes. Good point. Maybe not.
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If only you could do 159mph past one.
That's safe. Right?
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Neon washer jets = +20bph
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If only you could do 159mph past one. That's safe. Right?
Yes, but 160 - definite no-no. ;-)
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That all BMW drivers fall into the stereotypes/prejudices of others.
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>> 5. You can outrun a speed camera >> In theory, you could outrun a speed camera by driving at >> more than 172mph. However, few cars are capable of such >> speeds Some are ;-) >> and anyone daft enough to try deserves to lose their licence. Ah. Yes. Good point. Maybe not.
Hmmmm, anyone know where there's a camera on a long straight with excellent visibility along the road and no turnings onto it?
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Everyone on this site is a motoring enthusiast.
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Yes Tomo. Bearing in mind that DSC is switchable !
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No, no: I think that one´s true.
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CD's that dangle below rear view mirrors.Lots of them in my part of the world where the occupants seem to think they will 'deflect' speed cameras. Surely not? If so, any particular artist??
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Number one. Most women pay lower premiums because, on average, they do far fewer miles annually than their male counterparts.
All things considered, insurance companies based premiums on annual mileage. The higher the mileage the greater the premium.
My son is the proud holder of the IAM badge. When he first started working his round trip was about 27 miles a day; landing a new job meant driving 35 miles each way daily and his premium quite markedly reflected that mileage increase.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Myth:- Citroens are unreliable. (OK don't bother replying, I know what you are going to say!!)
Phil
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Another old myth: "It's not the fast drivers who cause accidents, it's the slow ones." People actually used to say this!
Cheers, SS
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Is this a myth? "Old men wearing hats while driving = danger, avoid".
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I think that there is case law or a precedent that a parking attendant has to be wearing a hat to issue a ticket. Not a matter of recognition but of being correctly dressed.
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"Run it in fast, and it will go fast." It may have a higher top speed at a given mileage than a car that has been run in sensibly but it will wear out sooner.
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L\'escargot.
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Those black rat stickers...
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Those black rat stickers...
Huh?
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L\'escargot.
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Is this a myth? "Old men wearing hats while driving = danger, avoid".
Don't let Jackie Stewart hear you say that!
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L\'escargot.
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