“COURTESY SQUAD” OF POLICE

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

“COURTESY SQUAD” OF POLICE

INSTRUCTION FOR ERRING DRIVERS

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT IN ENGLAND

It is reported from London that the "Courtesy Cop" Campaign, inaugurated early in the year in Britain, haS proved a success. All told, about 800 specially trained police officers took up the task of educating drivers ignoring the highway code and the ethics of courtesy on the road. It is now disclosed by the accident statistics from districts where the “Courtesy Squads” have been instructing road users, that for the first six months during which the system has been in operation, traffic accidents show a worth-while reduction, ranging from 5 per cent, in some centres to as high as 46 per cent, in one district. On certain roads where the squad provided supervision, accidents were reduced by 73 per cent., while prosecutions for traffic offences were reduced by 5.8 per cent. In one county alone (Lancashire), 490,000 persons, representing all classes of road users, were cautioned or advised. The British “Courtesy Squad” was placed on a 12 months’ trial, in the belief that the effect, of 800 welltrained police officials instructing road users in traffic laws and the highway code would do much towards reducing the toll of the road, and bring about closer co-operation between drivers and the traffic authorities. Judging by results during the first six months of the experiment, the educational system has already borne good fruit.

MOTOR POWER IN AMERICA

The use of commercial motor vehicles in America has attained tremendous proportions. For example, there are more than 25,000 fleet owners of eight or more motor-trucks, who, between them, operate 901,484 vehicles. Government and municipal bodies, to the total of 1546 different departments, are amongst the largest fleet users, running no fewer than 222,780 commercial motor-vehicles between them.

The largest fleet owners in private industry are the oil and petrol companies, these between them operating 85,558 motor-trucks. A further 156,945 units are operated by carriers, moving. and hauling companies. The public utility enterprises, telephone, electric, and water service, and the railroads run, between them,' 70.972 vehicles. In the transportation of food, there are 57,035 trucks occupied, while the hauling of butter, eggs, milk, and dairy produce keeps another 54,046 vehicles in service. The transport of meat and fish demands 17.583 trucks, and the chain stores employ 38,454 vehicles. These figures are tremendous, but, on a population basis, Australia finds a greater use for the commercial motorvehicle, as there are already 220.000 in use throughout the Commonwealth. This figure is quite apart from the large number of passenger cars used In business by travellers and salesmen.

THE EXHAUST SYSTEM

It is not generally realised that the exhaust system is.subject to a deterioration which can be fairly rapid, and this can bring in its train a number of troubles which should be avoided as far as possible. According to one of the largest car manufacturers in the industry, for every gallon of petrol put in the tank about one gallon of water passes through the exhaust system. This apparently excessive amount, is derived from condensation within the exhaust manifold and pipe, and it does two things. Some of it remains in the pipe and causes rust in the normal manner, while some of it dissolves the exhaust gases to form sulphuric acid, which eats away the steel of the muffler. Owners of cars which have had twp years of service or more, will frequent-

ly find the muffler a mere rusted shell il they examine it closely. The whole system should be tapped lightly with a hammer and a dull thudding sound instead of the expected metallic ring will indicate the weak spots. The main trouble with exhaust systems which have deteriorated in this way is that gases can leak out at odd points along the line and work up into the car through the floor boards. This naturally is apt to cause mild carbon monoxide poisoning in the passengers, and there is little doubt that many cases of car sickness are caused by defective exhaust systems. The accumulation of too much carbon in a muffler is also bad because it causes back pressure which prevents the engine from developing its full power. Mufflers and exhaust pipes are simply constructed parts, and therefore inexpensive. A replacement of one or both need hot therefore be postponed because of expense.