Untitled

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30804, 16 July 1965, Page 9

by

A.J.P.

Lights Needed The intersection of Sherborne street, Cranford street, and Edgeware road is certainly one that needs traffic lights. It carries heavy traffic at most times, and because of the narrowness of Edgeware road and the poor visibility for motorists using this street the danger is high. Edgeware road is governed by stop signs, but on the east side visibility is seriously impeded by a house close to the corner, and on the west side by a shop. Traffic on Cranford and Sherborne streets moves rapidly, and is very hard to see until extremely close to the intersection. Russian Cars Russia is to export Moskovitch and Volga cars to Australia. and may later assemble cars there. The exports will be to test the market, and prices are not yet known, although they are expected to be very competitive. Road Toll 'The rising road toll, partly a'product of rapidly increasing traffic, must be deprecated. Horror publicity and death totals may act as some reminder to drivers, hut after all, no-one has any desire to have an accident. Some of the answer may lie in better traffic control, by means of lanes, lights, stop and giveway signs, and overpasses, and also in more enforcement of everyday traffic rules. The road safety enthusiast who persists in labelling the “speedster” as the scapegoat, a popular practice recently, is merely deluding himself and doing no service to road safety. More attention should be given to failing to keep left, failure to give signals, failure to use the rear-vision mirror, failure to keep a proper look-out. and similar sometimes overlooked but potentially fatal faults. The Few There are, of course, a few[ drivers who are really reckless. and nothing but removal Of their licence will stop them. This type of driver is not one to take notice of publicity and posters. Overseas research has shown that persons with a generally irresponsible attitude towards society have a similar attitude when driving, and this is undoubtedly a factor for courts to consider. Ordinary Folk Nevertheless the fact remains that most of those involved in serious accidents are just ordinary people. We cannot hope to reduce accidents until we have a clearer idea of the causes, and this could perhaps be discovered if unusually intensive investigations were made of all fatal accidents during, for instance, a three-month period. Each accident would have to be given as complete an expert investigation as if it were an air crash. This has been done iin the United States, and

some very interesting facts came to light as a result, the! main one being that no acci-i [ dent can be ascribed to just i . one cause. Sleep . Some safety authorities suspect that many more accidents than we think may be , caused by drivers going to sleep. In this category may come those unexplained headon crashes on straight roads, and accidents when cars run off the road on corners at ) comparatively slow speds. Perhaps, some say. this has come with the newer cars. Smooth, quiet - running engines, efficient heaters, soft seats, easy driving and comfortable suspensions may all contribute to making cars just a little too restful when the driver is tired. Tiredness at the wheel is an insidious and treacherous enemy, and after the crash, there may be little to show the driver went to sleep. More Vision Wing mirrors are always useful, and indeed, with some cars almost essential. However, it is in winter that often , they become particularly , valuable. This is when the rear window of the car mists ■ over, and the normal rearvision mirror becomes useless. Another way of tackling! this problem is to fit a small [ electric bar demister (about i 255) to the rear window. Rear[ vision is always vital.

In Waggons Station waggons can have rear-vision problems in summer as well as in winter, for the shape of the body encourages dust to lie on the rear window. Now on sale are small steel deflectors, which I fit either side of the rear window and keep it clear of dust by air currents. The devices are not expensive. 1 have had no experience of the deflectors but other drivers tell me they are effective. Of course, a high load ; in the rear of a station wag- ! gon will also prevent rear vision and this is why wing ; or door mirrors are often essential on this type of | 1 vehicle. Quote of the Week “How much more amusing , the reasons for retirement i from a motor race sound in : French. One can have grilled valves, boredom in the geari box, or just an absence of i tiger in the motor.”—R. I Thoresby. in the “Motor.”