Driving Myths Quiz
Windows or air conditioning? Tailgate up or tailgate down? Wide snow tires or narrow? Don't just sit there and wonder ... take our Driving Myths quiz.
Cruising at a high speed with the air conditioner on is more fuel efficient than driving with the windows down.
True
False
Rolling down windows counteracts aerodynamic car design in most cases. Because the cross winds blowing through the car create drag, driving along at 55 miles per hour with the windows down can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent.
Air conditioning, on the other hand, lowers fuel efficiency in this case by only 10 percent. However, if you're driving a short distance at a slow speed, windows down (and air conditioner off) is the gas-saving way to go.
Air conditioning, on the other hand, lowers fuel efficiency in this case by only 10 percent. However, if you're driving a short distance at a slow speed, windows down (and air conditioner off) is the gas-saving way to go.
Under stressful conditions, a driver will burn more fuel than when he's relaxed.
True
False
Driving while in a rotten mood can potentially burn a lot of gas — sometimes much more than 10 percent.
On MythBusters, when Grant went for a spin in a junky, uncomfortable car with annoying music blaring, his stressed-out driving spent a whopping 60 percent more fuel than when he covered the same course in calmer conditions.
On MythBusters, when Grant went for a spin in a junky, uncomfortable car with annoying music blaring, his stressed-out driving spent a whopping 60 percent more fuel than when he covered the same course in calmer conditions.
The wider the car tire, the greater the traction it will have in deep snow.
True
False
It seems counterintuitive, but more tread and a greater surface area won't make your car slip-proof during a snowy commute.
Narrow tires slice into deeper snow and gain better traction with the roadway. Wide tires simply glide on top of the snow, which means their meaty treads won't make as much contact with pavement.
Narrow tires slice into deeper snow and gain better traction with the roadway. Wide tires simply glide on top of the snow, which means their meaty treads won't make as much contact with pavement.
The generally accepted "risk zone" in which a driver might be hurt by an airbag is within 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of inflation.
True
False
The high-risk zone for the driver airbag is within 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 centimeters) of inflation — that's where the force of deployment is greatest.
To minimize your chances of airbag injury, back up: Experts say if you park yourself about 10 inches (25 centimeters) from the wheel while driving, you should be in the clear.
To minimize your chances of airbag injury, back up: Experts say if you park yourself about 10 inches (25 centimeters) from the wheel while driving, you should be in the clear.
Pumping the brakes will help your car stop faster.
True
False
If you find yourself driving in slippery conditions and need to stop quickly, don't pump the brakes. The pumping practice was common in older cars, but it also tended to lock up the steering wheel, so vehicles these days come equipped with anti-lock braking systems that do the pumping for you internally.
Modern brakes automatically change the pressure in your car's brake lines — much like pumping used to — when you hold down the brake pedal. So by pumping modern brakes, you're actually losing brake pressure and increasing the time it takes you to stop.
Modern brakes automatically change the pressure in your car's brake lines — much like pumping used to — when you hold down the brake pedal. So by pumping modern brakes, you're actually losing brake pressure and increasing the time it takes you to stop.
You can stop a car by shifting it into reverse.
True
False
Turns out, you can put a moving car's automatic shifter into reverse, but the transmission will actually go into neutral. Most modern vehicles have safeguards to prevent engine damage, which is what would happen if you flipped directly from "D" to "R." Putting it in neutral will keep your vehicle from continuing to accelerate as if you were pressing the gas pedal, but unless you're also applying the brakes, the change in gears alone won't slow your current speed drastically enough to stop it.
If you discover your brakes don't work, downshifting a manual transmission into a lower gear can slow your speed. But when the car is moving, the reverse gear won't work because it turns in a direction opposite to all the other gears.
If you discover your brakes don't work, downshifting a manual transmission into a lower gear can slow your speed. But when the car is moving, the reverse gear won't work because it turns in a direction opposite to all the other gears.
Driving with your tailgate up increases fuel consumption.
True
False
If you drive a pickup, common sense might lead you to think that opening the tailgate on the road is the more fuel-efficient way to go. But when MythBusters Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage drove identical trucks under the same conditions across the desert — one with the tailgate up and the other with it down — Jamie's tailgate-closed pickup outlasted Adam's by more than 30 miles.
Closing the tailgate actually improves fuel efficiency because it creates a type of airflow called a separated bubble within the bed of the truck. As wind rushes over the moving truck, that bubble of slow-moving air deflects it over the raised tailgate. By guiding surrounding air over and across the truck bed, that vortex effect prevents added drag.
Closing the tailgate actually improves fuel efficiency because it creates a type of airflow called a separated bubble within the bed of the truck. As wind rushes over the moving truck, that bubble of slow-moving air deflects it over the raised tailgate. By guiding surrounding air over and across the truck bed, that vortex effect prevents added drag.
You cannot open the door of a sinking car until the interior is flooded.
True
False
When a sinking car isn't yet completely flooded, the water pressure differential between the inside and outside of the cabin prevents the door from being opened. Only once the sinking sedan is filled to the brim — and the pressure difference stabilized — will the door latch release.
Correct
Don't quit your day job.
Correct
Not too shabby. You're on the verge of becoming the next great buster of myths.
Correct
Great job! Adam and Jamie would be very, very proud.
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