MODERN MOTORING NOTES AND COMMENTS LOCAL AND GENRAL

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 8, 11 January 1927, Page 12

MODERN MOTORING NOTES AND COMMENTS LOCAL AND GENRAL

BY SPA/ttCWSLL

LIGHTING UP TIMES. To-day 7.44 p.m. Wednesday 7.44 p.m. Thursday 7.44 p.m. Friday 7.43 p.m. Saturday 7.43 p.m. Sunday 7.43 p.m. Monday 7.43 p.m. HOLIDAY ACCIDENTS. The holidays have not been free from accidents, several proving fatal. When the larpe number of motor cars which have been touring during the past fortnight is taken into consideration, the percentage of accidents is really verv >ma 11. In addition to the major accidents. which are recorded in the Press, a number of minor happenings occur daily which are not so w?corded. It was quite common in a day's run to come across five or six cars out of action from one cause or another. Whether it is due to the natural exhilaration inspired by tlie knowledge that one is free from the cares of business for a certain period, thus engendering a little recklessness or just what causes it, we do not know, but the fact remains that there have been a lot of accidents. Jt is not always the fault of the driver whose car comes to grief. A case in point came under the writer's notice last Saturday on the road between Paeroa and Te Aroha. At a rather sharp bond over the railway line, a car had pulled tip right in the centre of the road. Another car coming suddenly on the stationary car had to make a very sudden turn. an., in doing so ran right oil' the road into the swamp at the side. Fortunately the car remained upright and with the help of a third party, it. was dug out and towed back to the road. Motorists should think of others when they pull uj and take care to leave plenty of room to pass. When climbing that steep hill coming into Auckland after passing Pokeno. a car was seen to be in flames under the bonnet. Without a fire-extinguisher matters looked pretty black as the fire blazed for some minutes. All the owner

(' v-af: to remove his personal 1 cii'ects. Fortunately, two . is came along with lire-extinguishers, and "Sparkwell" quickly got to work with one, having the satisfaction of putting the blazing benzine out in less than a minute to the relief of the owner. However, in spite of some drivers who think it necessary to rush along at 40 or more, overtaking everything in sight, the average driver is very careful and is ever ready to pull well over to his own side or stop if on a very narrow road. Many little acts of courtesy of this nature have been experienced by the writer during the past week, and such drivers may be sure their actions were very much appreciated. THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS. Road conditions at New Year were a little better than during Christmas week, but still left much to be desired, especially in districts not blessed with metalled roads. The road from Auckland to Hamilton and on to Te Aroha or the Thames was in good order except for the four deviations necessary through the new road in course of projrress between Otahuliu and Papakura. Naturally, one cannot expect the side roads to be in as good order as main roads, although one or two of the deviations are quite as good, if not better than the closed road. Every credit is due to the A.A.A. for the very complete signposting-of the deviations, making it almost impossible for a stranger to go wrong. That lowlying stretch near the Mercer station is now quite dry, also the portion near R.angiriri, and very fair time can be made between Auckland and Hamilton. The Mamaku route was passable on one or two days, but it was safer to go to Rotorua by the Putaruru-Atiamuri route, the extra 3.5 miles being more easily negotiated than the Mamaku Hills. With the fine weather of the last few days, main roads everywhere have dried up wonderfully, and motorists who are fortunate enough to have their holidays this week need have no fear of being held up. The Paeroa-Pokeno route is now passable, although there are still two bad bits on the plains, and up till last Sunday a number of drivers preferred the 25 miles longer route via Hamilton. It is a fact which Auckland motorists have to admit with shame, that the nearer you get to Auckland the worse the roads become. This has been forcibly brought home to ''Sparkwell" after a' waek's tour in the Waikato, Te Aroha and Thames districts, where the roads are very good, but nearing home they go from bad to worse. Some of the stretches between Hamilton and Tirau cr Hamilton and Te Aroha are really first-class and reflect credit on the county councils concerned. Everywhere the yellow and black signposts of the A.A.A. are conspicuous and the novice is never left in doubt. The route guides issued to members by the A.A.A. are also very complete and easily followed and the information shows every sign of careful and recent compilation. On Saturday a party came through from Tauranga to Te Aroha by way of Waihi without having to use chains, and this road is now drying up quickly. It was a. very pleasant surprise when going from Te Aroha to Matamata to come upon a fine stretch of concrete some 4-J miles long running from just over the 'bridge at Te Aroha until you pass the big dairy factory at Te Aroha West. It is a pity there are not more of these concrete stretches. They have been laid down primarily for the benefit of the milk suppliers, but are useful to all and must surely enhance the value of farm lands abutting on them. The northern roads are also fast drying, although the north seems to have had more than its share of . the heavy rain. Given a week of dry weather, motorists need have no fear of anything, and present indications point to more settled conditions.

A.A.A. SPIRITS' BAY TOUR. Members of the Auckland Automobile Association who intend taking part in the tour to Spirits Bay. in the far North, should communicate with the service office without delay, as the date is to be fixed to suit the majority of members. MOTOR RACING MEETING. At a meeting of the Auckland Motor Racing Club, held l.°.st week, it was decided to hold a race meeting on the Takapuna c-ourse 011 February 12th. Substantial prizes are offered, the programme comprising the following events: Novice Handicap, live miles, open to machines not doing better than 70 seconds: Takapuna Handicap (Open), seven miles; Sports Handicap, five miles, lor machines 000 c.e. not lapping faster than <>0 seconds: Alison Handicap (Open) six miles: Great Northern Handicap (Open), 12 miles; Auckland Handicap seven miles, for machines 3.">0 c.c; President's Handicap (Open), ten miles: Final Handicap (Open), five miles. EASY LUBRICATION. A recent articlle on the choice of a car. addressed to motoring novices, contained the following advice: — "'A request every novice should make to the salesman before finally deciding on his car is that he should be shown an oiling chart of the car. He should mark each spot requiring lubrication, and ask the salesman (who will possibly not be at all pleased! ) to lubricate eacli part before his eyes. He will then see exactly what is needed, and how easy or awkward it may be to carry out this necessary work. Cars vary enormously in this matter, and the easily lubricated car remains a permanent joy to the owner driver, whereas that with oil and grease nipples difficult of access is bound, sooner or later, to become neglected, with perhaps costly results."'

EQUAL TO ALL EMERGENCIES.

While all applications for a driving license should be preceded by a test of driving ability, how many realise that before a driver is equal to all emergencies he must have had many thousands of miles and some years of experience? '-here are so many things that may happen with a car, creating situations that an experienced driver will handle correctly bv instinct, which it would be difficult for those who have not the advantage of driving cars for a number.of years and under every condition to understand. Take, for instance, a front-wheel skid. The road is wet, the surface being polished tar. The car is being driven at a fair pace, when for apparently no reason, at a slight lefthand bend, it proceeds diagonally to the other side. The driver being unable to direct its course, it crashes into the bank, or perhaps into a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. In all probability the driver will be completely at a loss to account for the mishap the only theory that he may be able to advance is that the steering must have failed, particularly as he locked the wheels far over to the left when he found the car steering to the right, without altering its course. The explanation is that it was a front-wheel skid, which is always liable to occur when the treads of the tyres are worn smooth and the surface of the road is like wet glass. Here is an emergency for which the experienced driver is always prepared. He knows the risks at every left-hand bend, drives slowly if he thinks there is the slightest possibility of his tyres not holding, and if he does get a skid checks it by applying the brakes (even the application of rearwheel brakes only will usually pull a car out of a front-wheel skid), and by waggling the steering left and right rapidly, a little more to the left than the right each time. Supposing a front tyre bursts. Does the new motorist realise that a tremendous pull will be exerted on the steering on the side on which the tyre collapses, and that if he were travelling at all fast it would take him all he knew to keep the car in a straight line ? Try driving a car with one front tyre flat and see how difficult it is to keep the steering wheel straight. The experienced driver, again, holds the steering wheel with a grip which can be instantly tightened, so that the wheel is not knocked out of his hand by hitting a stone or a pot-hole or by a sudden deflated tyre. The wheel is held palm uppermost close to a spoke. It is not a tiring position, like that adopted by so many new motorists, yet it gives very decided control with one hand, leaving the other free to manipulate gear and brake levers or to give signals. Holding the rim of the steering wheel by two hands awkwardly does not give the same degree of control. One should cultivate the habit of noting not only the activities, but the probabilities, along everv foot of the road upon which one is driving. When cultivated, this habit becomes acquired as an instinct, and is done subconsciously, but it takes many thousands of miles experience.

WHEN PEOPLE BUY MOTOR CARS. A review of the motor car buying trend in New Zealand over the past few yearo discloses a distinctly uniform tendency in every month of every year. December is shown as the peak month with an average of 9.5. March registers S per cent, and this rises to 9 per cent again in April, from then on dropping in a seasonal curve down to 6.5 per cent in July and August, rising again through the following months to the peak December season. Truck sales, on the other hand, arc remarkably steady right through the year, the lowest average sales being iu January and February.