NAILS AND MOTOR-CARS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 114, 11 November 1930, Page 8

NAILS AND MOTOR-CARS

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The mere nail, especially the bent nail, causes much trouble. It is thrown down carelessly at times on to the roadway. It drops from cases being carted through our streets. It falls to the roadway when cases are being broken up on the roadside for firewood. It falls to the roadside when buildings arc being demolished or scantling is being taken down after construction o£ buildings. .It just waits until the right time to spring up from the road and make its new home in the tread or wall of a tire. When the tire is warm through friction when driving the tire is more susceptible to pick up the mere nail or nails, as the rubber mixture when warm permits the nail to penetrate the tire more easily. Now, one thing stands out in my mind as important: why are the nails allowed to remain on the roadway? The answer is clear, because no one cares a continental jot whether the motorist gets his tire punctured. The City Council should see that the nails are collected, whether by hand brooming or by a device such as a magnet, as used in other countries. Immediately a tire is punctured its iii'e is doubtful, and the attend-

ant risk to motorists greater because one never knows when a weakness caused through the mere puncture or punctures of tiro and tube will" cause an accident through sudden deflating of tube. Another point to consider is the fact that when once a tire has been punctured there is no certainty whether moisture will be unable to penetrate to tho inside of the casing and affect the tube. I have had brand new tires punctured to my sorrow; and know what a serious loss it is to motorists when comparatively new .tires are depreciated through punctures. So, any motorist or non-motorist, including lorry-drivers, who cart empties home after the day's work, and particularly those who pick up old timber and deliver it to the suburbs after 5 p.m., kindly take note: Tires were made for a purpose, and that is not picking up nails.— I am, etc., SPIKED.