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Here are common misconceptions on driving perpetuated by history, the media and or just plain dumb analysis.  This ranges from bad maintenance advice to mistaken safety tips. Here are 10 common myths to watch out for.

# 6 - Luxury nameplates are the be-all and end-all. Movies and marketers alike drill this message into all of us. Let’s analyze it objectively: Luxury brands typically have better resale values than their garden-variety counterparts, but they also tend to cost more. In a level playing field, the difference is often slight.

Also consider repair bills, which tend to be higher for luxury brands. Such is the hidden cost of leather seats and chrome accents. Still worth it? You decide.

#7 - Talking on a hands-free headset while driving is a safe alternative to holding a cell phone. We’re not going to debate the lesser of two evils. Here are the facts: one in 12 18- to 24-year-olds on the road at any given time is also on a cell phone. One-quarter of all police-reported accidents are caused by driver distraction, and cell phones play a significant role. In fact, the risk of collision can be four times higher when driving and talking on a phone.

The culprit isn’t holding a cell phone or one-armed driving; it’s taking your mind off the task at hand: safely piloting 3,000 pounds of steel to your intended destination. A headset does nothing to mitigate this; pull over or put it away. Enough said.

# 8 - You don’t have to wear a seat belt when you’re sitting in the backseat. Few people explicitly advocate this, but actions speak louder than words: Fewer than half of all rear-seat passengers wear seat belts, compared with the 80 percent average for all vehicle occupants. There are  two risks that unbelted backseat passengers incur: First, they’re unable to take full advantage of the vehicle’s safety features, and accidents — especially rollovers — put them at high risk. Second, they become projectiles toward others during the collision, increasing the likelihood of injury among their fellow occupants.

 During a collision, unbelted backseat passengers create a 20 percent greater chance of death for occupants seated in front of them. Crashes are often so violent and contain such high energy that there’s no way you’re going to be able to physically stay where you are.

What would be in store for homes in the future? Modern home design is saying that less is more. We begin to see more solid colors over elaborate patterns. Modern home design also says that we should try to get more for less. This is the principle of efficiency. It goes hand in hand with conservation. We need to be consuming less and less resources while trying to gain the most value out of the products we use. Even floor space or wall space is considered a resource which is why we now see modern storage designs that make use of multifunctional furniture.

Some of us have the luxury of space. We may be living outside the city in a large house. But that does not excuse us from being responsible consumers. A typical home mainly consumes electricity and gas for its numerous functions. There are many ways a home can be designed so that it consumes less of these utilities. But to be able to provide the same functionality, a home still needs to consume energy. All we have to do is get the needed energy from somewhere else. We need free or renewable sources of energy.

A home needs to have light, especially during the night. But if your home still needs electric powered lighting during a bright sunny day, then it is not using the freely available sunlight efficiently. Windows, doors, walls and roofs all need to work together to let sunlight into as much area as possible.

A home has to provide shelter from heat or cold depending on the season. Poor insulation design will not be able to keep the heat out during hot summer months and will not be able to keep the heat in during cold winter. During summer, poor ventilation will prevent the cooling wind to come into the home and push out unwanted hot air. Either of these will put a strain in the heating or cooling system and will result in more power consumption.

Instead of using the sun just for lighting, or the wind just for cooling, these sources of energy can be harnessed directly using solar power cells or wind turbines. These technologies convert solar and wind energy into electricity which can be used for whatever purpose and can be stored in electric batteries to provide power all the time.

Lastly, a modern home also provides hot water. Instead of using electric or gas powered water heaters, there are solar water heaters available for this.

Do you feel like complaining about your 40-inch LCD television not being big enough? Are you unhappy because your bathroom does not have a Jacuzzi? Or maybe you are thinking the air conditioning unit makes too much noise. Go ahead and name some more things about your home that could be better. Better yet, you can watch television programs about celebrity homes, or read about all the latest in home improvement. It is not difficult to feel like a lowly peasant when you see all the things that your home does not have.

It seems that we no longer appreciate our homes as much as we should. Sometimes we see our homes as just a place to sleep and eat and store our belongings. The next door neighbor always has something better in their home. If this is how you feel than you need a fresh perspective.

Modern day living is actually a very comfortable experience when you compare it to how people live even as recent as a few decades ago. If you look farther back than that then they might as well have been living in the Stone Age. We all like the stories of great Kings in their magnificent castles and the knights in shining armor during the medieval times. But if you take another look at these castles, you will notice that the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world during the not so ancient past do not have even a fraction of the conveniences that we commoners have today.

Let us look at our own homes again. The basic utilities that we enjoy now would appear like sorcery to those distinguished nobles. Things like water from our faucet, electric lighting that go on and off with a flick of a switch, and gas powered heating. Who needs a royal jester for entertainment when you can just sit back and watch your favorite shows on television?

So the next time you feel like complaining about your home, just be thankful of all the things that you have at home, even if that is exactly what everybody else has. So how do the great Kings protect their castles? They build thick walls and deep moats around them. That is how valuable they think their homes are. So if you think your home is worth protecting, then make sure you have good locks and get home insurance now.

Here are common misconceptions on driving perpetuated by history, the media and or just plain dumb analysis.  This ranges from bad maintenance advice to mistaken safety tips. Here are 10 common myths to watch out for.

# 3: Keep your dashboard and tires shiny by frequently wiping them with protectant. Dashboards gather dust and tires lose their shine; it’s inevitable with use. Frequent use of various protectant available, however, can actually do more harm than good. Many dashboard cleaners leave a shiny glare and slippery surface, which are hardly the results you want to aid in safe driving.

Some experts even say these treatments cause the dashboard material to dry out or age faster. Also, tires become discolored as a side effect of their built-in chemicals — the waxes and antioxidants that form a protective coating against airborne elements. Aftermarket shiners can restore a tire’s color, but they strip the tire of its original protectants. This may results to cracks to form in the rubber. As an alternative, he suggests using soap and water with a good brush on the tires. We suggest simply wiping down the dashboard with a wet cloth.

# 4 - Drive cars with automatic transmissions around town in “3″ — or in “D” with the overdrive button off — and save “D” for the highway. The original idea was that drivers needed to lock out the highest gear for more responsive performance in stop-and-go driving. Most modern vehicles employ transmissions that are quick to kick down into a lower gear, so driving without the topmost gear around town only lowers gas mileage.

#5 - It’s best to shift an automatic transmission into Neutral while stopped in traffic. This myth stems from the idea that keeping the transmission in Drive while stepping on the brake wastes fuel and causes unnecessary wear on the driveline. In fact, actual engine wear and fuel loss are minimal.

Regularly shifting from Neutral and back into Drive when the light turns green, then immediately stepping on the gas, can wear — albeit slightly — on the transmission, driveline and engine mounts. Ultimately, these stoplight antics probably won’t amount to any measurable harm or good; they’re likely just a habit by folks who need to keep their hand busy with the gear selector. Our advice? Get a stick shift.

Here are common misconceptions on driving perpetuated by history, the media and or just plain dumb analysis.  This ranges from bad maintenance advice to mistaken safety tips. Here are 10 common myths to watch out for.

#1 - Change oil every 3,000 miles. Don’t waste money on changing your motor oil with not much added benefits.  Various service stations advertised the 3,000-mile oil change for years.  And why wouldn’t they, they would earn more the more you get their service. 

Modern vehicles generally recommend oil changes every 7,500 miles — more than twice the distance those service station warn you about. Some may last as long as 15,000 miles, though that’s probably stretching it. The best advice is to follow the recommended schedule in your car’s owner’s manual. If you often tow trailers or drive in stop-and-go traffic or extreme weather conditions, then change the oil more frequently.

#2 - Vehicles require regular fuel benefit from a tank of premium gasoline once in a while. Years ago, leaded gas and high-compression engines demanded the occasional tank of premium gas, which included detergents to clean out fuel injectors. Today, the most oil companies require detergents in every grade of gas. Stick with your vehicle’s recommended octane level and you’re sure to get the adequate detergents to keep your fuel system clean; 87, 89 and 92 correspond to regular, midgrade and premium gas, respectively.

Some gas companies put extra detergents in their premium grade, which might warrant an experimental tank or two to determine whether or not there’s improved performance. Many premium-grade “improvements” are just marketing gimmicks, so do your research. Before experimenting, ask yourself if you really need premium gas. Has your engine’s performance significantly deteriorated? A tank of premium might seem necessary, but realize you might be masking a more serious problem. It’s often best to follow your owner’s manual.