There are some things – tidbits of knowledge, if you will – in life that we just blindly accept.
Things like: if you swallow gum, it’ll stay in your stomach for seven years.
And that swimming after eating will make you ill.
And that driving with the light on inside your car is illegal.
All of these ‘facts’ have one main thing in common – they’re not true.
As mature adults who have their own thoughts, feelings and agency, we figured out the first two were total B.S. a long time ago. But the last one? The one about driving with the car light on? That is one thing I have lived by every damn day since I got my licence.
And for what? Certainly not road safety.
I’m not making this up, I swear. CarsGuide.com.au clarifies that it’s absolutely not in legislation that you can’t drive with the interior car light on.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t get fined.
If a police officer sees you driving along with your interior lit up and believe you are driving recklessly, they have the power to fine you.
But really, that has nothing to do with the light being on and more about our ability to drive well. Something which – shameless brag – I don’t have to worry about.
So, taking a sip of water while driving is officially more illegal than driving with a bright thing shining in your face.
What other driving myths have we just been blindly obeying?
What else did my dad lie to me about?
Well, for one, driving with thongs on/bare feet is totally fine too.
Is it uncomfortable? Sure. Slightly bogan? Definitely. Will it get you booked? Nope.
Driving with nothing on your feet actually gives you a better feel of the pedals so, if anything, it’s recommended (okay, not actually).
Using your fog lights when not driving through fog or mist is also totally fine. You can use them as you please on dark roads or in other situations – day or night- where visibility is low, so long as they don’t pose a hazard to other drivers. Those things are B-R-I-G-H-T.
The ‘Keep Left Unless Overtaking’ rule is another misunderstood road rule. It’s developed into the ‘right lane is the fast lane’ rule which is, technically, not true.
The right lane on highways is not there for faster drivers – you cannot and should not just cruise along at high speeds. On multi-lane roads with a speed limit of more than 80km/h and/or where there is a Keep Left Unless Overtaking sign displayed, motorists can only drive in the right-hand lane if they are overtaking, turning right or making a U-turn, avoiding an obstacle or driving in congested traffic. Otherwise you must be in the left lane.
Capish? Great.
Finally, no you cannot run over pedestrians crossing the road where there isn’t a crossing. If a person is walking across an intersection, they have the right of way. Even if you have to hit the breaks to avoid them because they’re being selfish and crossing where and when they shouldn’t be.
Anyone else suddenly feel like they need to sit their drivers license test again?