12 car myths we're finally putting to bed

1. Myth: "If the speed camera didn't flash, you weren't caught."

Fact: No flash doesn't mean no fine. Many cameras, including average-speed systems, use infrared and never flash at all. If you were over the limit, the ticket can still land on your doormat.

2. Myth: "You can drive 10% over the speed limit and be fine."

Fact: There's no legal buffer. You're technically liable for prosecution from as little as 1mph over, even though police and prosecutors sometimes allow for speedometer error in practice. It isn't a rule you can rely on.

3. Myth: "Hands-free calls while driving are illegal."

Fact: They're not. It's hand-held phone use that carries the penalty: six points and a £200 fine, rising to a potential ban for newer drivers. Hands-free calls are legal, though they can still count against you if they lead to careless driving.

4. Myth: "A sat nav can go anywhere on the windscreen, as long as you can see it."

Fact: It has to be fixed in position, either on the windscreen or the dashboard, and positioned so it doesn't block your view of the road. Get it wrong and you're risking the same six points and £200 fine as using a hand-held phone.

5. Myth: "Driving fewer miles a year automatically means cheaper insurance."

Fact: Not necessarily. Very low annual mileage can read to an insurer as inexperience behind the wheel, which sometimes pushes the premium up rather than down. It's one factor among many, not a guaranteed discount.

6. Myth: "You don't need to tell your insurer about a crash that wasn't your fault."

Fact: You do, every time, regardless of fault. Insurers expect to be told about any incident, and failing to declare one can mean a later claim gets refused or the whole policy gets cancelled.

7. Myth: "Third-party cover is always the cheapest insurance option."

Fact: Often comprehensive cover costs the same as or even less than third-party, because insurers price it as the lower-risk, more popular choice. Always compare rather than assuming "basic" means "cheap."

8. Myth: "Putting a young driver's policy in a parent's name saves money."

Fact: That's known as "fronting," and it's illegal. If there's a claim, the policy can be voided entirely. Adding a parent as a genuine named driver alongside the real main driver is legal and can still help with cost.

9. Myth: "Electric car batteries wear out fast and cost a fortune to replace."

Fact: Most EV batteries are built to outlast the car around them. Annual degradation has improved to roughly 1.8% on average, and manufacturers typically back the battery with an 8-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

10. Myth: "Electric cars are more likely to catch fire than petrol or diesel ones."

Fact: The data points the other way. Analysis of US sales figures found around 25 EV fires per 100,000 vehicles sold, against 1,530 for petrol cars, and the UK recorded 239 EV fires across the whole of 2022-23.

11. Myth: "EVs cost more to service and maintain."

Fact: An EV has around 20 moving parts, against well over 2,000 in a combustion engine. Less to go wrong means less to fix: typical servicing runs about 30% cheaper, with total maintenance costs roughly 43% lower over time.

12. Myth: "An electric car's range isn't enough for daily driving."

Fact: Most new EVs now cover 200-300 miles on a full charge. The average UK car covers around 37 miles a day, and a rapid charger can add well over 100 miles of range in about the time it takes to have a coffee.

Sources: RAC, gov.uk electric vehicle guidance.