Myth #1: Change your oil every 3,000 miles.
I know a lot of people who follow this myth to the T. Some even change their motor oil before they reach the 3,000-mile mark. The truth is that you HAVE TO change your motor oil on a regular basis. This can make or break your engine. However, 3,000 miles is not the mark anymore. This is especially true for newer models. Indeed, experts say that you can easily go twice that distance before having to change your oil. The safest bet is 5,000 miles.

Myth #2: Warm up your engine before you go.
Again, a lot of people tend to do this. Perhaps it is because of habit, but it really is not necessary anymore. Fuel-injection systems have done away with the need to let the engine idle for a bit before taking off. Don’t waste your time and money doing this.

Myth #3: The higher the octane rating, the better your car will perform.
Not true. Cars are made with a certain octane rating in mind. Just because this kind of gasoline has a higher octane rating doesn’t mean that your car will be better running on it. Check what kind of gasoline your car is designed for and stick with that. There is no need to spend extra when there really is no benefit.

Many states have already imposed bans on this habit and rightly so. Driving is a focus-oriented task and the slightest distraction can make the difference between life and death. The split second that it takes to glance at the cell phone screen just might be the split second that you need to save someone else’s life or your life.

So how can you drive safely with your mobile phone?

Use voicemail! Instead of picking up, let the call go to your voicemail. That’s what it’s there for. If the call is really important, then pull over before answering it. If your argument is that you have a hands free feature, let it go. You know as well as I do that carrying a conversation can prove to be a distraction.

Ask your companion/s to take the call for you. If you’re not alone in the car, there is no need for you to take the call or answer the text message. Ask the person with you to do it for you.

If you do have to use the hands free feature (they were made for a purpose, I suppose), then at least make sure that you don’t spend too long on the phone. Also, make the road your primary focus. Last, be aware of your speed – be consistent and don’t speed up or slow down suddenly.

Take your time. An RV is not meant to go fast. It is the ride of choice for those who want to take it slow and take in the scenery. Going up a hill, you cannot expect to do it the same way as you would if you were driving, say, a Mustang. Don’t rush it!

Never drive down a road/street if you’re not sure there is an exit. Have you ever tried having to bust a U in a small space, or maybe back out of an alley in an RV? If so, then you would know that this piece of advice is perhaps the best that you can ever have. Before you turn into a side street, make sure that you have a way out.

Trust those side mirrors like anything. If you’re used to looking at your rear view mirrors, you better get the hang of relying almost solely on RV’s side mirrors. You will not be able to see much from the rear view mirrors (except your bed maybe) and you’ll need those side mirrors more than anything else in an RV.

In Great Britain, though, they are taking this very very seriously. There is this Texting While Driving PSA that is currently airing in the country, and it is quite graphic! It can be quite disturbing, actually. Here, take a look for yourself.

I hadn’t gotten through halfway of the video and I already felt as if there were a huge thing crushing my chest. The sound of metal on metal, the girl’s screams, the blood…this is only a video but it really had an effect on me. Other viewers feel pretty much the same way. As a matter of fact, I read that there are some people who have been complaining about the graphic nature of the clip; that it is way too much for the general public. I think that it should be shown to anyone who can drive. If that means showing the video to a 16-year-old, then so be it! If a person can take the responsibility of driving and potentially placing his life (and the life of others) at risk, then he can take this video. What do you think?

Whether you’re driving your own car, borrowing a friend’s car, or renting one, you should always have three things with you:

1. Driving license
2. Insurance papers
3. Vehicle registration papers.

Plan, plan, plan. While adventure is fun, it is also practical to have some idea of your route. You know, just to have a fallback in case you find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere. Oh, and bring your GPS with you – it just might save your life.

Make sure you have headlamp beam deflector strips and warning triangles. Also know that in some European countries, the law requires you to dip your headlights during the day. Some of these countries are Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland.

Know the blood alcohol limits in each country you plan to visit. While drinking and driving is a NO NO, we know that you might find yourself behind the wheel after having a glass of wine with dinner. Just make sure that you know exactly what is legal and safe.

According to Car and Driver, texting or reading e-mail is extremely distracting. The study that they conducted has been described as “loosely structured,” but the results are nonetheless alarming. They asked for two volunteers who drove in a drunken state and then drove while texting.

So what did they find out? The Ottawa Citizen reports:

While over the limit, the drivers managed to stop about four feet into the simulated car they were supposed to be following, whereas texting slowed reaction times to the point that drivers had travelled upwards of 70 feet ahead of where a normal driver would have stopped.

Followers of texting and Twittering culture might wish to notice that a new abbreviation has been added to the growing list of time-saving acronyms. In e-speak, this message indicates that the sender is currently having an accident: HRHH%^&UB%6UB6U65 TTTTTT.

It is scary, isn’t it? One thing I know – I will not stand for texting and driving anymore!

Yes, the mere act of buying gasoline and putting it in your car may have an effect on your surroundings. The effects may be minute but adding up all those tiny little things can eventually make a considerable change. So here are some things to look at.

Don’t use higher octane fuels unless your car really needs it.
You see, not all cars are meant to perform better just because you use high octane fuels. The truth is that most cars will function with the same efficiency whether you use regular fuel or its higher octane cousins. In these cases, the only difference between high octane fuels and regular fuels is the price; and you will end up on the losing end.

Don’t overfill the gas tank.
You know how you just love to try and get a tad bit more than you pay for at the gas pump? Well don’t. The gasoline will merely spill or evaporate. Either way, you will not gain anything PLUS you may contribute to the pollution of groundwater, as the spilt gas may leak below the ground, and smog formation.

Look for gas stations that have vapor catching nozzles.
Gasoline evaporates quickly and contributes to air pollution. There are gas stations however, which make use of these nifty nozzles which catch the vapor so it does not get released into the atmosphere.

Shift into reverse or park while the car is still moving forward.
The newer cars have a safety feature to guard against this – the park and reverse are locked if the car is still in forward motion. But if your car doesn’t have this feature, then make sure you grab that knob and shift to reverse or park. Doing this over and over again will ensure a wrecked transmission one of these days.

Rev your engine instead of using the parking brake.
You know how you have to keep your car still when waiting for traffic to move while you’re on an incline? Well, you do have a parking brake which you can use, but why do that when you can rev your engine? It is more fun, it sounds fun, and it wrecks your transmission in the long run as well!

Don’t change the transmission gear oil on schedule.
That schedule is merely a suggestion. If you’re a little short on money, save it for later. The car will still work anyway.

Check your tires.
How are they? Make sure that your tires are always in good condition, and that they have enough track. Actually, even if you’re not driving on wet roads, the condition of your tires may very well keep you safe. On wet roads, however, it is even more important. Bald tires will offer little or no resistance to hydroplaning, and that could be the death of you – literally.

Check your wipers.
How often do you replace your wipers? I know some people who do not replace their wipers on a regular basis. Car safety experts suggest, however, that you change your wipers at least once a year. If you are not convinced, try to remember when you had a faulty wiper and it suddenly rained. The chances are that the wiper didn’t help much in clearing the water from the windshield. In all probability, it just made smudges that made seeing clearly a remote possibility. And of course, you have to see clearly to drive safely. So, make sure that you have those wipers in tip top shape all the time.

Check your defroster.
For reasons similar to what I explained above, you have to be sure that your defroster is working properly. Come rain or snow, you will be sure that your windows and windshield will be clear to see through.

Stay away from the side of the road.
As much as possible, drive as near to the middle of the road as you can. The rationale behind this tip is the fact that most of the roads in the United States are crowned in the middle. As a result, the water tends to run off to the sides of the road. In many cases, the water gathers toward the sides, posing a hazard to motorists.

Always turn your headlights on.
This is the law in many places actually, but not everyone really does it. If I were you, the moment that a light rain falls, I would turn my headlights on. Even if you can see relatively clearly ahead of you, it would still help. More so, your headlights would alert other motorists to your presence. A word of caution: do not use your high beams when there is a fog. Instead, use your fog lights if you have them.

Keep your eyes on the car ahead of you.
While you have to keep your eyes on the road and the condition, you also have to pay attention to the car in front of you. Make sure he has enough space, especially if he has to suddenly brake. Also, seeing how the car in front of you “behaves” will give you a pretty good idea of what is ahead.

Drive safe!