SAFETY ON THE ROADS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22592, 23 December 1938, Page 14

SAFETY ON THE ROADS

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS APPEAL

NEED FOR CO-OPERATION

KEEPING ACCIDENT FIGURES DOWN

"It is the bounden duty of all who use the roads to strive to ensure that there shall be no repetition this Christmas season of the accident statistics recorded last lear,” said Mr H. C. Harley. president of the Automobile Association (Canterbury), in a special Christmas message issued in the interests of greater road safety. “Though I am speaking for more than 10,000 members of the Automobile Association (Canterbury),” he said. “I am making this appeal not only to those who use motor vehicles, but to all who use the streets and highways, the pedestrians, cyclists, and the drivers or riders of horses as well. It is emphasised once more that complete safety on the roads can be achieved only by the fullest understanding and co-operation between all who use the roads. The responsibility for care rests on everyone; it is a serious obligation on the individual. “If every unit plays its part in ensuring safety there will be no melancholy recital of accidents this Christmas season to mar our motoring pleasure, . .

“Particularly is an appeal made to the motorist to ensure that his vehicle is mechanically sound, that his tyres are safe, that he does not overcrowd or overload his vehicle, that his speed is always safe in the circumstances, that he avoids the fatigue of long journeys, that he sees. to it that he does not attempt a long journey after a day’s work, or without having had sufficient sleep, that alcohol is not mixed with motoring, that hand signals are always given, that all regulations are observed. particularly the right-hand rule, that headlight dipping is practised, and that patience, courtesy, and consideration are shown to all road users. “For the pedestrian, it is asked that sane use be made of the streets and roads, that safe walking be cultivated as a habit, that the authorised crossing regulations be observed, that before entering the roadway he should look right-left-right before crossing, that he should appreciate at night-time the interference by lights, shadows, and reflections with the vision of the motorist, that he should walk on streets as little as possible and when necessary should make a right-angle direct crossing in a safe, decisive manner, that he should take no chances of injury, and that alcohol should not be mixed with road walking. “A special appeal is made to the cyclist, the type of road-user which predominates in Christchurch, to ensure that the utmost care be taken in avoiding confusion with pedestrians and motor vehicles, in obeying the lighting and other regulations, in giving hand signals of intended change of direction, in avoiding riding too close behind motor vehicles, in avoiding riding more than two abreast, and. in common with all other wheeled traffic, keeping as close to the left as “Parents are asked to give earnest thought to the safe road-using conduct of their children over the holiday period. “Tram, bus, and train drivers also come into the traffic picture. “With the holiday spirit abroad, and greatly increased traffic on the roads, an added burden of responsibility and strain is placed on everyone who uses the roads. Let us all join forces in making road safety a real thing, a tangible manifestation of that spirit of goodwill, tolerance, and . pleasure which has always been associated with Christmastide.”

COMPENSATED VOLTAGE CONTROL

Important developments have recently occurred in the design of compensated voltage control, the method used in the majority of cars to-day to ensure that the generator output is properly controlled to give exactly the right charge to the battery, no matter what its condition. Recent experiments have shown that the output is affected by the weather and an English firm discovered that to charge a 12-volt battery at 7 amps required 2-volts more in cold weather than in hot. Because of this, the latest voltage control mechanism is fitted with a simple thermostat arrangement, completely automatic in action, which ensures the correct charge, no matter what the conditions.