Cars are great companions that require attention and care. People rely on them to commute to work, arrange a road trip, or assist to an important event.
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Yet, driving during the summer season can be challenging for drivers who do not follow the right steps to stay safe during hot weather.
For example, drivers are advised to store bottles of water in their cars to avoid being dehydrated while driving during high temperatures.
Driving during the summer season requires attention indeed, but there’s still some hidden misconceptions that need to be debunked immediately.
Just because you find false information on social media doesn’t mean there’s some truth on it. Many times users upload incorrect information without getting their facts sorted.
For that reason, here are 5 summer driving myths that are in desperate need of debunking once and for all.
Filling up your tank causes an explosion
If you hear someone telling you to fill your tank to half because higher temperatures could cause an explosion, you can just ignore it because that’s a misconception which makes no sense.
Driving in hot weather does not contribute to any explosion. The only reason why you don’t want to drive in hot weather is because it feels terribly hot once you get in.
Now, modern vehicles are designed to deal with any expansion of fuel, which invalidates any possible risk of tank explosion.
Driving a car barefoot is illegal
Never believe someone who tells you that driving barefoot is illegal. In fact, driving a car barefoot is legal in all 50 states, but that doesn’t mean you are driving safely.
While some drivers find it easier to drive barefoot, this habit poses its risks and you should be aware of them.
For example, operating pedals with wet feet is dangerous as they can become slippery.
Not to mention that some cars, especially old vehicles, require drivers to add heavy pressure on the clutch, which is hard when driving barefoot.
You need to fill up your radiator with water
Typically, uninformed people recommend drivers to fill up their radiators with plain water during the summer season, but that’s just a myth.
Your coolant contains anti-corrosion components that will help your cooling system without the need of adding water constantly.
Adding water every time you top up your radiator can cause your coolant to freeze during the winter season , which, ultimately, damages your engine.
A good advice is to ensure that you use an adequate mix of both (coolant and plain water).
The heat affect the gasoline you get for your money
While gasoline expands and contract a little owing to higher temperatures, you don’t need to drive first thing in the morning to the filling station to get more value for your money.
Gas filling stations store their gasoline in underground tanks, where the temperature outside has little, if not insignificant, impact on the fuel you get once you pay for it.
Precisely, Consumer Reports performed some temperature testing in an underground fuel-tank at their auto-test facility in Connecticut, demonstrating that the temperature of the stored fuel remains steady, whereas the fuel coming out of the nozzle has very little variations between morning and afternoon.
The sun damages your car interior
This myth would make more sense in areas like Abu Dhabi, where the heat rises to exponential levels that you definitely need to park your car in the shade
Exposing your car interiors to the heat may, to some extent, cause damage to the fabric and warp the plastic.
However, if you live in a region where the summer heat is moderate or lower, it makes little sense to worry about your car interiors, doesn’t it?
Want to share other summer driving myths with us? Please, feel free to let us know in the comments below.
SEE ALSO: Is Summer The Most Dangerous Season For Teen Drivers?
