STILL AT MASTHEAD

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 65, 9 December 1938, Page 7

STILL AT MASTHEAD

Wellington Road Safety Flag COUNTRY ROAD DANGERS The close of the fourth day of Road Safety Week saw the pennant still fluttering at the masthead of the Wellingl ton Town Hall. Except for a collision i early on Monday morning, before the flag was hoisted, the week has been ‘ free from motor accidents resulting in J severe injury to persons. There have been minor accidents, but so far Wellington can claim to have upheld safe motoring. The Automobile Association reports tiiat outside the city area misimps have, occurred during the last few days on tiie West. Coast Road, and puts forward tts a reason that Ute surface of these outer roads has been wet during most of the week, after a period of three or four weeks of dry weather, and that motorists are not quick enough to realize the dangers of changed road condition. Having become accustomed over a period of a few weeks to dry weather, drivers are apt to increase speeds generally and speeds are not adjusted to the changed conditions after rain.

Changes in road surface to be watched are from dry to wet, city pavements to macadam, and macadam or sealed surface to pumice and papa. Where a pumice surface is not bound a combination of dry weatiter and heavy traffic results in a rapid accumulation of fine pumice, which can be tricky and may throw a car out of control. Papa roads are dangerous to city pavement drivers when they become greasy after wet weather. High crowns on lesser country roads are another unaccustomed condition, and as the maintenance on these roads is spasmodic gravel and loose metal may be round any bend. On roads where there are fords or concrete splashes, the association advises, motorists should make an invariable practice of drying out their

brakes by application immediately after the splash. Any number of accidents have been caused by failure to realize that wet brake drums are useless in the first moments of application, but a brief application before trouble shows up will bring them back to order.