The vital factor

Press, 12 October 1979, Page 8

The vital factor

If your car refuses to start it can be a nuisance, but if it will not stop it can be a tragedy. An enormous amount of time and technical knowhow has been devoted during this century by some of the world’s best engineers to improving the performance of motor vehicles, both in the private and commercial sectors. The emphasis has always been placed on increasing speed and economy, with such features as comfort and appearance. Technical expertise has advanced to the stage where vehicles are capable of travelling at very high speeds. What most people are inclined to forget, however, is the very simple fact that the faster a vehicle is travelling, the more difficult it is to

bring it to a stop in an acceptably safe distance. Every driver of a motor vehicle knows where the brake pedal is and he is fully aware of the fact that to stop the vehicle it is necessary to apply pressure to this pedal. But very few have any knowledge’ or appreciation of the sequence of events which take place when the brake is applied, and what is more important, there is an almost, complete lack of appreciation of the fact that the barking mechanism of the vehicle requires regular servicing. Most vehicle owners are fully aware that at regular intervals the vehicle must be lubricated, the engine must be tuned, oil filters must be changed, fan belts replaced, tyre pressures checked, batteries topped up, and so on, but very

few people give any thought to the maintenance of the braking system. Most vehicle owners have their brake systems serviced only when they fail to obtain a warrant of fitness, and even at this stage they consider it a nuisance and an undesirable expense.