MOTORING & MOTORISTS

Evening Star, Issue 21719, 14 May 1934, Page 13

MOTORING & MOTORISTS

[BY RADIATOR.]

LIGHTING-UP TIMES

To-day 5.18 Tuesday ... ... ... ... 5.17 Wednesday ... ... ... 5.15 Thursday ... 5.15 Friday 5.14 Saturday 5.1 J Sunday ... ... 5.12

MAN OR MACHINE CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS In a recent address before the Traffic Chib of New York Mr Harold G. Hoffman, 'Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in New Jersey, stated the cause of thousands upon thousands of motor accidents. He said;— “ Only a few months ago one of our motor vehicle inspectors apprehended a- fourtoen-year-old hoy travelling at a speed of seventy-two miles an hour on a well-used highway of our State. The youngster, possessing a driver’s license issued in the State of Michigan, was a .student at a New Jersey preparatory school, and indulgent had presented him, last Christmas, with a now and high-powered sedan. .“There you are. That’s why there are so many accidents, and that’s why so many of them arc fatal. , The driver may not always be as young as fourteen, though high-powered cars are being driven by immature youngsters all over the country, and the speed may be sixty-five instead ;-of ( seventy-two, miles an hour, though. it is often! eighty ,or ninety. The ‘point is that, except under unusually favourable conditions, any one driving a car at more than :a.' mile a minute on a travelled American highway is saved from serious accident only by luck. “ The answer to this situation, in the opinion ’of some, is an indictment of 'the . power and speed built into, the modern car. It has been proposed that motor manufacturers be required by law to so limit the horse-power of their machines that cars will be mechanically incapable of going more than a limited number of. miles an hour. This may seem like ah easy solution of the problem, but '-surely ..anyone, who considers it. comprehensively is forced to admit its impracticability. It just wouldn’t work.” Mr Hoffman did not recommend any such anachronistic about-face. Instead of fatuously damning the motor car manufacturers for making such highpowered cars, ho said the increased power and performance of fo-day’s „car is constituting “ a positive challenge to the motoring public.” The-only thing for the public l to do was to accept the challenge and prove that it was capable of handling the trulv wonderful _ machines which progressive engineering science had developed for it. It was tip to each individual motorist to prove that he possesses horse sense in proportion to the horse-power .of Jus car.” . . , . In other words, it was tip to each motorist to he a good driver and to remember that good driving did not mean flashy operation, but competent command of a car under .all driving conditions. “ The really- good driver intelligently fits his speed to surrounding circumstances, for instance, and in passing, turning, starting,’- and . stoppig, clearly indicates his intention to others, at the same time keeping'his intention in check until it is safe to release it in action.” Drivers might be helped towards improvement by education, by regulation under police supervision, by the building of more adequate highways, and, in time, all men might become compettent to handle motor vehicles. Admi-

AMERICA'S CHAMPION

Brief accounts of holiday trips, roads, and places of Interest are invited for this column.

tedly, this was a slow- process, but it seemed to be the only way. It Was impossible to take out of the hands of human beings all the useful, but dangerous, instruments that modern science had produced for them. If they could not learn to use these instruments intelligently they would ho destroyed by them. The trouble was that others must suffer, too. It was the innocent victims of motor accidents who made the toll most deplorable. Some impatient people bad said that everything would be all right if reckless drivers killed only themselves. They deserved their fate, and, by exterminating themselves, would make highways safe for less foolhardy motorists. But even that would not solve the problem in any way beneficial to humanity. The fact that a man was a feckless driver did not mean that he was a useless citizen. The boy of fourteen foolishly driving his car at seventy-two miles an hour might grow up to become a leader in science, government, business, or one of the arts. He might become an Einstein,, a Charles Chaplin, a Shakespeare. n Will Rogers, a Michelangelo, a Ring Gardner, a Lindbergh, or a Babe Ruth. Society might bo the loser if he destroyed himself. There was no natural selection of the fit for survival. It was not so much the mere number of motor vehicle fatalities that appalled tho thoughtful observer as the realisation that, among the thousands killed, were many shining citizens heeded in this fitfully illuminated world. ( i

NEW GAR IN PREPARATION Louis Meyer, the whiner of last year’s Indianapolis 500, and whose home is : at Los Angelesj California, is reported to be devoting his time to the construction by-hand of a mystery racing car that promises thrills for this year’s race. He is stated to have engaged one of America’s leading motor engineers and a specialist on metallurgy to assist in" the creation of the machine. • Meyer won the Indianapolis 500 first in 1928. and again in 1929. Last year’s victory was his third in the event. Ho is twenty-eight years old, married, and has a ,son hardly yet able to walk, but already playing witli racing car models, paving the way to follow in his father’s footsteps a score of years hence.

GEAR CHANGING DESIRABLE SPEEDS Skilful handling of the gears is not simply a question of the ability to make a silent change and to avoid jarring the transmissipni.; In fact, with the ;morß j modyh'-.-iyipes dfgearbox even a 'ndvice~cah' soon learn how to make a completely quiet change, either “ up ”. or “ down.” Skill is required in determining the road speed at which it is proper and desirable to make a change. Until the driver has had considerable deliberate practice he will find that it is best to use the speedometer as a guide. . In the case of new cars the aim should be to avoid wide opening of the throttle. Too great a load should not be thrown upon the engine, and it is wiso.sto change down earlier than is necessary with an engine which has been well “ run-in.” But taking the case of a vehicle which has covered 1,000 or: more miles the aim should still bo to prevent “over-revving.” There are some excellent drivers who, because of the excellent power output 6T their cars, often scorn to start in low gear and use second, but although that practice might not cause any great and appreciable damage to the transmission it is best to minimise starting strains by employing low gear at first, if only for a few seconds. It is a mistake to speed up almost to peak revolutions in ah intermediate ratio before changing “ up,” for but little benefit is derived in the way of faster get-amry, and high revolutions tend to hasten wear of the cylinders and bearings. An exception to that rule is a traffic emergency, in which quick acceleration might offer a better chance of averting an accident than sudden braking. It is a good plan to learn by experiment the road speeds at which the engine of one’s car peaks in the various gears, and then to resolve that normally one will not drive the engine above, say, two-thirds of such rates before changing to a higher gear. For instance, if the “flat out ” speed in low is fifteen miles per hour second gear should be meshed at ten miles per hour, and so on.

Now that so many models have “ silent ” third and second ratios drivers are more ready to race their engines, and are not deterred by that high-pitched hum which formerly gave warning that one was driving the engine too hard. The accelerator pedal can bo regarded as a guide, on the basis that only exceptionally, no matter what gcai' is meshed, should it be in the fully open position. FREE WHEELING AND NEW CARS Purchasers of new cars which are provided with a free-wheeling device in the transmission should be careful not to make use of that fitting habitually during the period in which the engine is being run in. If that precaution is neglected the frictional parts of the engine will not have obtained good working finish at the time when the speedometer reading indicates that the running-in period has elapsed. When the free-wheel is in use tho engine merely idles whenever the driver’s foot is taken oft the accelerator, and the car allowed to coast. It follows, therefore, that during a given mileage the engine will not have made nearly so many revolutions as would bo the case if positive drive had been maintained at all times, and consequently the thoroughness of its running-in will be proportionately deficient. Experts are divided as to the permissibility of indulging in short bursts of speed with a new engine. Sometimes it is argued that the engine revolutions should be scrupulously limited to the equivalent to 23 or 30 m.p.h., corresponding moderation being observed when lower ratios are employed, but it has also been stated that brief periods of fast driving are not detrimental, and actually help the running-in process, as'i

there is a better circulation of the engine lubricant, ensuring that the frictional parts retain rtn ample protective film of oil, while the minute particles of metal which wear off during the rmining-in are more thoroughly flushed away by the lubricant. There is, generally, complete agreement about the imprudence of driving a new car at high speed for any considerable distance.

DANGEROUS FLOORS Unsound floor hoards in a car are more than a draughty discomfort; they are dangerous for both driver and passengers. Some time ago a passenger was nearly strangled when her scarf caught in the tailshaft and was wound round it, and there is at least one fatality recorded from this cause, states a Melbourne paper. Another recent casualty was a badly injured arm, when it driver’s coat was caught. Large holes in the hoards are not the only danger. It is probable that poorly fitting joins aro more risky, and it is safest always to have a mat over tile floor. The boards also should ho securely fastened down, as they will probably be lifted by wind pressure at high speeds, dangerously diverting the driver’s attention ' besides introducing the other risk.

WHEN “ BUCKING " OCCURS If my own _ experience is typical, many universal joints are being unjustly, accused of having worn out in an unreasonably short time (writes “ Mechanic,” in an Australian paper). Certainly I have had more than the usual number of car owners protesting about this condition recently. They seem to come almost in droves, telling the same story .of their cars jerking and rocking when they were slowed down to nineteen miles an hour or less. They all wish I would “do something about the universal joint—tighten it up, put in new trunnion bushings, or instal a new joint. In'most cases we manage to eliminate' tho jerking effect without even looking at the universal joint. It’s getting to be a good first guess that had valve adjustment or bad valve condition is the basis of the trouble which the owner lays to worn universal joints. Loss of compression in the engine makes for uneven operation in the drive, aim thatis the answer to tho bucking and rooking that annoys many motorists. It all gets back to the idea that it does not pay to try to go along for ever without a carbon cleaning and valve grinding job—a thing that many car owners are trying to do In this age of higher compression and good petrol. The interval between the need for this work is getting longer and longer, hut some owners think the thing has passed out altogether. High speeds and high (operating temperatures have resulted" m many improvements in valve mechanism design and materials, but that does not mean they never give ally trouble no matter how long or how indifferently they are used. But the owner often'thinks of valves only -when their noise irritates him. SOLDERING ALUMINIUM i It is well known that the soldering of aluminium is a difficult task, even when the right solder and flux ate em'ployed It is a task which sometimes baffles the professional repairer, and the following hints, published in a. British technical journal, should pe helpful. The chief trouble is tho presence of a film of oxide which forms so rapidly that, no matter how scrupulously the parts have been cleaned in preparation tor soldering, that precaution may bo ineffective.

The best procedure, it is stated, is tq, clean the surfaces well, and then to heat them to a point at which the solder is about to melt. Next, apply some flux and run on some solder, and while the solder is still molten scrub the surface with a clean, stiff wire brush. This scrubbing removes the oxide, and provided the solder is kept molten and a sufficient quantity is used, it will unite with the metal before any oxide forms. *

WARM STEERING WHEEL An American inventor lias fashioned a hollow steering wheel made of aluminium, which is heated by tho exhaust from the engine, so as to warm tho motorist’s hands in cold weather. A pipe leads from the exhaust manifold to the wheel, through which the hot vapours circulate. They are then led off through a second pipe, and discharged through the exhaust outlet.

O.M.C. LIGHT CAR SECTION

FIXTURES May If).—-Night trial. •June 3 and A. —King’s Birthday trial. June s.—Monthly meeting. .hmo 16.—-Despatch run. October 20, 21, 22.—Labhur Hay trial.

MOTOR CYCLING

FIXTURES May 15.—Monthly meeting. May 20.—Club rim to Kaitangata June 4.—King’s Birthday trial. June 16.—Social run. June 19.—Annual meeting.

CLUB NOTES TRIAL. Wintry weather conditions prevailed for tho four-hour reliability trial hold by the Otago Motor, Club cycle section on May 6. Competitors were required to average twenty-five m.p.h. throughout the trial, and at 1.45 p.m. the first man left Logan Park (the starting point), the remaining five following at one-minute intervals. The Port Chalmers road was followed for seven miles, when tho riders turned up over the lull to the Main road, which they followed to Evunsdale. At this point all the riders except W. Bowman (A.J.S.), who' had broken his clutch lover, were going well. The seaside road was then followed to Merton, where the Slain road was again joined and the return trip to Evnnsdale made via the Kilmog. Here an official stop for ton minutes was made. At Maitati. the riders turned to the right, and followed the Leith-Waitati road through Leith Valley to Wakari. Just after passing Waitati two streams were encountered in flood, and owing to the impossibility of fording them the bikes were carried across the first, while the second was crossed by means of a plank. Owing to the resulting loss ot time ten minutes were allowed for the crossings. At Wakari four of the riders took the wrong road, and were considerably late at the next two chocks. After passing the Mosgiel railway crossing the road to the left was followed to Wingatui, thence on to Abbotsford. At this stage the road was extremely greasy and rough, but was safely negotiated by all tho riders with the exception of W. Bowman (A.J.S.), who, striking a rock, damaged his crankcase and was forced to retire. H. I'exguson (Triumph), who had put up a good performance, arrived at Look-out Point (the finish) one minute late, while the remaining competitors did not arrive until some minutes later. . A total of ten secret cheeks were instituted along tho route. Results: H. Ferguson (Triumph), lost 48 marks g t ; * A. Scofield (New .Hudson), lost U marks •■• ••• “ R. H. Stewart (Ariel R.H.), lost 80 marks ' ... ••• ••• ■" ” B. Burns (Ariel) lost 103 marks, L. Rillstone (VelocPttc) lost 108 marks. W. Bowman (A.J.S.) retired; MEETING. All members are invited to attend the monthly meeting, to bo held in the club rooms to-morrow at 8 p.m. I’uß particulars of the King’s Birthday trial will be submitted. KING’S BIRTHDAY TRIAL, Arrangements are Well in hand for the two-day reliability trial for Cars and motor cycles conducted by the Otago Motor Club on June 3 and 4 over tho following course Dunedin to Invercargill via Balclutha, Owaka, Papatowai, Tokonai, Fortrose. Ororgo road, Bush Siding,. Kapuka, Mokotua, Waimatua, and Tisbiiry, returning to Dunedin via Gove, Balclutha, aiicl. Milton—a total distance of 301.9 miles. The trial is open to all club members holding amateur status. Competitors are to average thirty m.p.h, Horn Dunedin to Owaka, twenty m.p.h. from Owaka to Fortrose, thirty m.p.h. from Fortroso to Invercargill, thirty m.p.h. from Invercargill to Dunedin. Secret checks, brake tests, easy starting tests, and observed sections may be instituted. Full particulars and entry terras are now available, and inay bo obtained from tho Otago Motor Club and gaiages. Entries, close with the secretary on Monday,-May 28, at 5.30 p.m.

CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS Both foreign and domestic statistics reveal that the number of accidents m Which motor cycles arc concerned arc apparently disproportionate to the grand totals of road mishaps. I' l ' oll ’ that it might be unjustly inferred that the motor cycle is a far more .dangerous type of vericle to handle than a ear or motor truck, but the truth, according to competent opinion, is that a "majority of such accidents can be attributed either to prolonged neglect of the machine or to bad riding. The modern motor cycle, despite its potential speed and surprising powers of acceleration, is safe enough in shilled hands, but it is necessary that every owner should attend to tyre maintenance and understand tinder what conditions ho is entitled to take full advantage of the liveliness of his machine. Motor cycle tyres often give a mileage in service which would be envied bj car owners, but it is foolish to ask too much of the tyres, for a blow-out at speed with a motor cycle is_a serious happening. The folly of continuing to use casings which are in a dangerous condition was exemplified a lew weeks ago, when a veteran “ solo machine, with a postillion passenger, was halted at a wayside hotel. Less than a minute after the driver and his companion had dismounted the back, tyre exploded with a loud report, the burst being so large that a long section of the inner tube protruded. It is not hard to imagine what would have been the con; sequences had the tyre failed while the cycle was being ridden fast. When motor cycle tyros aro to bo retreaded great pains should be taken to see that the walls are in a fit state to cany a new trend, and should an inner tube have seen long service it would be best to renew it. Many accidents might also bo avoided if motor cyclists would always recall that sudden swerving in traffic will frequently cause trouble, for it is impossible for drivers of four-wheel motor vehicles to twist and turn with the same hair-raising celerity, and although so far as holding the road is concerned the speeding cyclist may have full confidence in the behaviour of his machine; he lnay overlook the danger of other less responsive vehicles colliding with him.

TOLD AT THE WHEEL KEEPING IT QUIET. The tiny boy hud been taken for a motor ride by a friend of the family. On Ids return his mother said to him: “ Did you thank Mr Brown tor taking you for a ride?” There was no answer. The mother repeated her question, but still there was no answer. “ Jimmie,” she said, “ did you hear me? Did you, thank Mr Brown for taking you for a ride?” “ Yes,”, whispered Jimmie, “ huthut he told mo not to. mention it.”.