ROAD SIGN REFORMS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 23

ROAD SIGN REFORMS

More informative road signs are desirable eveii in England, "where for years the sign-posts have boen a cbnspiuttous feature of the landficape. Sbme interesting suggastion's ou this subject are made by Mr. Nonn*n,L., Sing in a recent ifestite of ""The Motor" (London). Fifst of all* he co'ndcmiis the red triangle as a <dabger sigu because it is nbt ebnspicuous at hight. ftc suggests instbad a White bliltng tnbtal 'sign-post; at least 2ft by iSiri, With aa Indifeatioh in btold black ietterihg M the liaturc of ihe cotnei--6- the gradient. Since corners can be measured only in degrees, he proposes signs of tli^ following character: '^Corner Left 60-' * or "Cbi-ner Sight 145," this representing a,hairpin bend, to the left. For hills ho put's forward an expression t>£ .gradient in terms bf its inclination to the horizontal Measured by devices. Thus, a drop of a grade of 1 in 3 he indicates by such signs as "i>escciit 30" and a rising hill as "Steep Hill 30," This method of indicating gradient is novel, but doos liot commend itself to most people as sb expressive a4 "1 in 3" or oven a "30 per cent." grade, both of Which terms are in. actual Use ott railways and roads to-d«y. ''„-'

Now that many.motorists will be preparing for the touring and holiday seasons, a N word in rßSpect to tites will' siot be .'out'of place. Tim have tuiyanced cohsider'ably. in pride since lust year, owing to the abnormal price , of crude rubber, and on that account some motcirißts .Jnay feel disposed to, take risks with their, partially w«tfn-out ©overs in the hope that prices stiay come down in tlie near future. This is a ialse hope, for there is-Undoubtedly a rubber shbrtage throughout;' the world to-day, and the trouble; will 1 be greater as the number of motorists increases in the near future. Until; further supplies of: crude rubber are available; atid it Will be 8o«l« time befofß that is poB- 1 sible^~no relief as regards cfceßp*r tires cto be antieiptted. They ate .. lftbre likely to increase in price. Such being thfe case,' motorists should not'hesitate about, buying new tires. '■■ ■ V;

Motorists who are going fi'onf their first car to another.with, the hand brake on the opposite side should lear'ti .to ffely for sl'eei'iftg oh the hand which they do'nofc-requrrc for that bfakfe. It often happens that wh«n brake* have become a'little worn v sharp pull oh the hand lever is m6re , eftectivfe in « tight coVner thah pressure With the foot. If, hriwteVei 1; oiie is not accustomed to dKviag With the haiid iifearesli the level- frefe, action is n6V so sWift as the emergency demands.

"yVh6fe tlife h<ihtt lifake -is central, a "driver should bb va'ble to Control th* titr perfetly With the fight hailU only, and it is Useful if the Mm; can. bt> operated %Sth'the >»ne hahfl, br, bcttfer iStill, With the knee. . Where the brake is ;on th* right, the left hand should opet-ate the steering, and auto^ matitally ti,ke it ttp when suMfeh brkkifag ifc requited. This is a, little pbinl, but it means' iftuch wheh Only a moment separates safety from disaster.-.

For the 'fifst time in the history of mfltbr a 100 miles: htts beeh n*ftbtiated *ithih the hoar. The stecßskful rider was the English craekt C< F. Temple, and the achievement was afccomplished on the Mohtlhery track neitr JPMis. The cehtttry . was fcoveredin 38 itain 58 29-100«eo, the actual disthnde riddeii in the hour Was 101-98 miles. A Wek earli*! 1 Temple just failed to achieve, the hbhbur, fsilteg by ■ yards. It is a noteworthy fact that the two. first motorists to coVer 100 miles oh land in the wflrld ««re both EliftHfeh: men, the car reobrd -being established by the late Percy Lambert (England), who recorded 103} miles oh a fcA.p. Talbotj^away back in 1913> in thfe hour.

The speedometer has become sucli a Usual fitment on tars that tfie 'arfefage motorist gives it little thdUght, except to note and accept Us readings. Yot it is possible for a speedometer to be seriously oub in' it's indicated eetiilint* of 'the .vehicles „pe«d; Ther-> are -many things that aftect speedometer - Tendings. The most accurate of these instruments are those which are dtflnUely driven by sonte form tif tooth of . Hibtm ■ drive . from the dx'ive shaft («r a wheel).tif the car ; iTHction dl'ites its »pt to orf, because-the belts (gendally of tlie coil ete*l type) wear grooves in the pulleys and alter the gear ratios.; SometbUeS these bands dip and veivy often they are* not provided With ■pulleys of the ablAlutely. abrrtct ratio. If :a. coil 'steel'drive, ba»d. wears,, thfe side* of the pulley in which it is running, it makes itte ' effective diametek-very-considerably less., For this reason

pulley grooves in which the steel coil band can bottom in the grooves ate mote accurate than those where the V groove is-relied'-oh' to. get a grip of the belt by the belt worKUij; down Hie- V. Many car makßrt now ative the speeftometer by a positive gearing boilt into the gear box, and this is :certainly' by, far the best .way.'

A popular make of American siioyl'indfer car recently traversed Broadway, New York, under wireless coutfol. I)fivcrl6ss) it was ■■Steered, "by radio through dtosij traffic at speeds vafviiig between, five and v ten miles, kn VoUl-i Tlie tb'n.trb'l appfer^tufe *as carried'in atibther car Which ■.'fbllb'wed about Ist"t behind, and the ilUtiJin'atic car Was madfe tb turn torhers, shift gears, stHrt a^a stop, and feonhd the hbrii; The radio feet four five-Watt ttibes as oscillators bh. wave lengths of frbin i 0& to 12b metres. ,

A Wahganui potibeman was knocked over by'a' motOMst at one of the city fetreet interefectibtre during the week, and '-sustained, two broken arms (reports the "flerald"). Fortton&tfely, the policeman was of thfe silent Variety, provided by thfe City Cotincil.tO rfegUlate the trafcb. In this case the motorist received ah account of 15s for repairs, and the "constable"'" is again bWk oh dttty.

Despairing^ of relief from intolerable conditions, lorry owners, transport service companies, and private individuals are taking steps to improve the cottditibn of the »b*brua,-T«itipo rbad {says the Rotbrua "Chttmicle"). A strang working bee, in Which a number of motor-lorries Will be engaged, is going tut to makfe an fcffbrt to restor* to paseability a road that has fallen into titter disrepair. ;• : '■•■■ ■ '■"•.'■ '

An Ashburton motorist had an uapleasant shock While on. a country i-oad recently. A rokd^rdllet appeared irf front of hini) going in tke sanwj direction, and he ftccofdingly BleWed dowi to t>**« it, bteWikg his hottt Vigorbusly. A tnan -who Was walking ahead of the roller tßro#ing the big stones out of the way; hoWfeVer, faiC cd to notit^tlre approstsh of tie cat, ■and, as it drew level, calJnly t6Bseß U big itanlp of metal through its WifedSereßh. The fafet tnS,t ; thc' smashea glas^sfcut hia Wrists ftifl not teftH tb sweeten the driver temper, and some hot W6rds were exchanged bolore the knight of tho road prooeediyd on his. way. ■ , '..