You don't realize it when you're a kid, but getting behind the wheel is a stressful thing. Then you hit 15 and start to go through the process of getting your permit and learning how to drive. That's when you understand why you couldn't horse around in the car when mom was driving. There are so many things you have to know and there are so many things that you have to pay attention to.

First, you have to go through and learn all the rules of the road. You have to learn all of the different signs and what each of them mean. You have to understand which drivers have the right of way in different scenarios and situations. You have to understand all of the things you can and can't do (like texting and driving) while driving.

Then, once you have your permit, it's time to get behind the wheel and actually learn how to drive. You have to learn how to train your foot to use each pedal at the right time. You have to learn the turning radius of your car and how much you have to slow down in order to take a turn safely. Also, if your car is a manual, you have to learn how to use the clutch and the shifter.

As a driver, you also have to know how to properly take care of the car, maintain it and use it. There are a lot of things that new drivers don't know and some things that they're gullible enough to take at face value and not find the answers for themselves.

Here are 20 things that many new drivers are gullible enough to believe.

20 Manual Transmissions Get Better Gas Mileage

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This used to be the case in the early years of automatics. When they were just hitting the market, automatic transmissions were nowhere near as good on gas as they are now. As technology improved, automatic transmissions were just as good (if not better, in some cases) as standard transmissions. For example, the continuously variable transmission has nearly an infinite range in gear ratios that they can use, which increases efficiency. Another interesting note is that automatic transmissions are more expensive to produce due to their complexity in comparison to standards.

19 Red Cars Are Pulled Over More Often For Speeding Than Cars Of Other Colors

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I have always wondered where this myth came from. It's the driver that breaks the law and not the car. This would begin to point out some deep psychological similarity in people who preferred red cars to those who chose cars of other colors. Ultimately, it's going to be the cars that have a lot more power under the hood that 's likely to have drivers who drive them faster. Jeremy Clarkson's quote goes perfect here too. "It doesn't matter what you drive, but how you drive it." The car doesn't speed by itself and red cars aren't naturally going faster than other cars.

18 A Bullet To The Gas Tank Is Going To Cause An Explosion

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This is just in the movies. It makes for a really great scene where the good guy is chasing the bad guy in a well-choreographed car chase. It seems as though the bad buy is about to get away and then the good guy lands a perfect shot right to the gas tank and BOOM! This is just an effect. You remember the show "Mythbusters?" Well, they did an experiment to see if this would happen and it didn't. The bullet actually went right through the tank and it didn't cause any sort of explosion whatsoever. In reality, are you really going to be in a situation where this is a possibility? If you're 007 maybe, but not for 99.99% of the world.

17 Pumping Gas First Thing In The Morning Is Going To Get You More For Your Money

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Gasoline is stored in underground fuel tanks and, because of that, these tanks maintain a pretty steady temperature. These steady temperatures maintain a constant density in the fuel no matter the time of day or night. Some people have been led to believe that pumping gas in the morning, when the temperatures outside are cooler, is going to lead to denser gasoline. This increased density will lead to more gas going into the tank. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. It doesn't matter what time of day or night you pump, it's all the same.

16 You Have To Warm Up Your Car When It's Cold Outside

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This is one car myth that used to be true, but it no longer applies to the cars of today. Allowing your car to idle is not good for it. It's something that people do so that they are not getting into a cold car when it's time to go to work. It also allows gasoline to build up within the engine and, thus, get absorbed into the cylinder walls. This change is due to the improved automobile technology that we have now. Ultimately, you only need to let your car run for 30 seconds before you drive it in the cold. The gasoline running through the engine will warm the engine up just fine within the first couple miles of driving.

15 A Car Will Keep You Safe From Gunfire

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Bullets definitely go through cars. They are not going to keep you safe from any sort of gunfire. They are a way to hide so someone doesn't see you, but they are not going to protect you in any way. You're better off finding a big rock or a pile of dirt. You're lucky if your car is made of sheet metal, at best. There are many cars that are made out of fiberglass. This is another one of those things that is strictly a movie trick and you should not try this in real life. Hopefully, you're not going to need this tip.

14 Off-Brands Of Gas Are Bad For Your Car

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Gas is gas is gas. Stations may differ in the engine-cleaning formulations they add to it, but that's about it. It doesn't matter whether you stop at a Mobil, BP, or Shell—they all have to comply with federal regulations and meet the same standards. This is one of those things you can compare to food. The generic brands are usually just as good as the name brands, though not as expensive. They're going to be a little different, but not by much. Don't worry if you have to stop at a little hole in the wall gas station, their gas is just as good.

13 Electric Cars Are More Likely To Catch Fire

via www.electrek.co

There has been a major push over the last 15 years or so to create alternatively fueled vehicles. This is because fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource and because it's better for the environment. Since this push, one rumor that's surfaced is that electric cars catch fire easier than conventional gasoline cars. This is not true at all. In the right circumstances, any car can catch fire. Each type of car will catch fire when the right situation arises, but there's no heightened risk in electric cars. Don't let this rumor sway you from buying electric if that's what you want.

12 A Prius Gets Worse Gas Mileage Than A BMW M3

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The host of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, said, "It isn't what you drive that matters, it's how you drive it." In 2009, an episode of Top Gear put a Prius on the track that drove as fast as possible, and the M3 was just keeping up. The M3 got better gas mileage since it wasn't working as hard. Hybrid vehicles definitely get better gas mileage.

This test wasn't conducted in a way that made it fair for the Prius. It was a lopsided test. According to Cars.com, the 2019 Prius gets over 50 miles per gallon. There's no way an M3 is going to be able to touch that fuel efficiency. That's impressive.

11 You Have To Change Your Oil Every 3,000 miles

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This was the case in older cars. You needed to make sure that you were doing regular oil changes so that the oil was fresh and lubricating the engine the way that it needed to be. Now, with synthetic oils, these figures have changed. There are cars that don't need an oil change for 10,000 miles. All vehicles are different. This is where you want to refer to the owners manual to see what it is that the engine that is in your car needs. Manufacturers tell you what the engine needs so that it can run its' best. Know your car and read the manual.

10 A Dirty Car Is More Fuel-Efficient Than A Clean One

via www.nhpr.org

This is one of those things that sounded so funny to me. I guess some people were under the impression that the dirt acted similarly to the dents on a golf ball. The dirt was to aid the car in cutting down the wind resistance. In a myth-busting experiment by the "Mythbusters," they found this to be so false. The caked on mud and dirt would add weight to the vehicle and it also increases the drag. They actually discovered that it could reduce fuel efficiency by up to 10%. Wash your car.

9 Premium Fuel Makes Your Car Run Better

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Premium fuel will make your car run its best if it is meant to burn premium fuel. This goes along with putting in jet fuel. If your car is not meant to burn it, it isn't going to get the best gas mileage it can. This is also one of those things that you are going to want to refer to your owner's manual for. Your engine was built to burn a specific kind of fuel, and if you're putting in something different, it isn't going to run its best. It may even make your engine knock and make noises that it shouldn't be making. If you put high octane fuel in a car that's meant to run on regular, it's going to run like crap. Sorry to break it to you.

8 You Have To Replace All Your Tires At The Same Time

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If you're driving down the road and you get a flat tire, you don't have to buy 4 brand new ones. You have to buy a tire of the same size and brand, but you don't have to buy 4 new ones because one needs replacing. This sounds like one of those rumors that were started by mechanics and tire companies so that they could make more money. If all of your tires are bad, then yes, you need to replace them, but not if one goes flat. This is another one of those car myths that sounds like a rumor started by some company so that they could make more money off of people who aren't very car savvy.

7 Change Air Filter And Coolant At The Same Time You Change Your Oil

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This sounds ridiculous too because coolant and air filters don't need to be changed at the same time as the oil. Like the oil and the type of gas your car needs, you need to refer to the manual for this one too. The owner's manual for your car will lay out the repair schedule that's perfect for your car. You should refer to your manual for most of these questions because you will get an honest answer. They're all going to have to be changed at different times so don't listen to a mechanic when they say "you might as well have me change them while I'm at it." They're lying.

6 Speed Up Before You Hit A Large Animal To Reduce The Damage

Vermont, fall foliage moose crossing traffic sign West Jay. (Photo by: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

This is one of those myths that's downright dangerous. It didn't even make sense to me when I heard it. Speeding up into anything before you crash just sounds like a bad idea. Doing this before you hit a deer or a moose is just going to change where they are going to land on the car. It will likely cause them to land on the roof of the car which will cause a lot of damage and, possibly, a lot of injuries to the people in the car. You should always try to slow down as much as possible before you crash. This is what will reduce the damage, not speeding up.

5 Driving With The Tailgate Down On Your Truck Gets You Better Gas Mileage

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This theory was tested by Popular Mechanics who found it to be false. In their study, they found that it actually added more drag to the car. They did find that having a mesh on the back in place of a standard tailgate did lend to better fuel efficiency for trucks. They also found that driving with no tailgate at all compared to driving with a bed cover with the tailgate up gave better fuel efficiency. Trucks are, categorically, a vehicle that won't get owners the best gas mileage because of their size, weight, and (sometimes) motor size.

4 You Don't Have To Change The Oil At All

via www.instructables.com

This one just sounds ridiculous. Oil will collect dirt and build up sludge if it's never changed. There can come a time when, if oil isn't changed, it can cause major damage to your motor. You have to change the oil as described by the owner's manual. When it comes to being a new driver, don't trust what other people tell you. Learn about your car and how to take care of it from the people that really know what they are talking about. Your owner's manual is going to be your best friend in taking care of your car or truck.

3 Jet Fuel Makes Your Car Faster

www.wikipedia.org

If this were the case, there'd be a lot of people doing this to make their cars go faster. Jet fuel is mostly kerosene and conventional combustion engines are not built to burn this type of fuel. In all actuality, if you put jet fuel in your car, it isn't going to go anywhere at all. The engines that burn jet fuel are specifically built to do so and they're either in planes or in cars that race on tracks in a straight line. Please, if you're a new driver, don't try this or your car is going to stall and it's likely going to need repairs.

2 Using The Air Conditioner Will Get Better Gas Mileage Than Opening The Window

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Some people assume that opening the windows is going to add drag to the vehicle and it will add resistance. They believe that this resistance is going to cause worse fuel mileage. The Society of Automotive Engineers and General Motors conducted a study in 2004 that focused on this question. Their findings said that the air conditioner is going to reduce gas mileage more than opening the windows. They still recommend that drivers use the air conditioning in order to make sure that drivers are comfortable and attentive while behind the wheel.

1 Using A Cell Phone While Pumping Gas Is Going To Cause An Explosion

via auto.howstuffworks.com

This one is false too. The Federal Communications Commission stated that there haven't been any reported cases of this happening. In their research, they couldn't find any link, whatsoever, between wireless devices and fuel vapors catching fire. The next time that a friend or someone looks at you funny, you should let them know that it's fine. Now, smoking a cigarette is not a good idea at all, but your cell phone is fine. This is another one of those things that was a rumor and it gained momentum from somewhere. I am sure that the cell phone companies were glad to find this out.

Sources: BusinessInsider.com, Cars.com, PopularMechanic.com, FamilyHandyMan.com