INGENIOUS TESTS

Evening Star, Issue 22722, 9 August 1937, Page 15

INGENIOUS TESTS

" CHECKING'!)? " ON DRIVERS “ Thanks to the American Automobile Association, and, it is hoped later, the Canadian Automobile Association, you will be able to go to school and find out whether you are a good, bad, or indifferent operator of an automobile. And, incidentally, help in the new consistent-wide campaign to reveal what hitherto unknown factors—related to carelessness, indifference, or faulty mental or physical condition—cause those terrible accidents on the highways you read about every day in the newspapers,” states an article in a Vancouver journal. Starting from its Washington headquarters, this organisation recently inaugurated what probably is the most unique series of tests in all automobile history. Some 15 ingenious machines and gadgets have been developed for testing the fitness of Mr and Mrs Average Automobile Driver. This apparatus is now touring the United States.

Assuming that you yourself take the tests, exactly what happens? The time required is about an hour. The first person you meet is the registrar of the “ Motorists’ University.” He hands you a printed slip on which the results of 15 tests are to be tabulated. Then you start down the line on one side of the tables. Usually the several eye examinations are given first, then your ability to judge distance is tested, next your blood pressure, reaction time, excitability, and so on down the complete list. Although , the “ drivometer ” examination, which consumes two and ahalf or more minutes—the exact time depending on the subject’s ability to operate an automobile—is given last, it is by far the most interesting of all the tests, and perhaps the most important. Instantly it is able to detect a combination of defects revealed while the driver is manipulating the numerous controls very much as he would when operating a car under actual road conditions.

Tho motorist whose reactions are to be tested sits in a conventional driver’s seat, complete with gearshift, brake, clutch, and other standard controls. He is virtually “ driving a car,” though it is but six inches long and runs .on a revolving track. The accelerator speeds up or slows down tho revolving track—the steering wheel keeps the tiny car on the “ road ” —the brakes stop the track, whereas to the driver it seems as if the car really starts and stops. During this test the revolving highway goes up and down hill, negotiates turns, passes over railway tracks—stop lights flash on and off—directions arc given the driver—in short, a drive on the open road is experienced without the danger of accident. Photo-electric colls keep track of the periods when the car is on the right-hand side of the “ road ” ; stopwatches check tho elapsed time, and other electric gadgets register his ability or failure to observe signals and directions.

Experts make the “ trip ” in 150 seconds, and are allowed one mistake or “ error of observation,” as it is called. Tho rank and file of drivers require 200 seconds to complete the journey and make two errors. Slower time and more errors than this incli-

cate a poor, careless, or even dangerous driver. The emergency-signal tost shows in split seconds exactly how long it takes you to react in a sudden emergency on the highway’. You are asked to respond to three separate signals: the flashing of a red and green light and the sounding of a buzzer. In front of you on a desk is a panel with three ordinary type telegraph keys. A box a foot and a-half square, equipped with the red and green lights, buzzer and a dial on its front side, contains the signals and registers your reaction time.