MOTORDOM

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 August 1936, Page 9

MOTORDOM

NEWS OF THE ROAD

(By

“Gearbox”)

“HIT-AND-RUN."

SYDNEY POLICE PROBLEM

SYDNEY, July 27

Sydney police are concerned at the increase of “hit-run” motor accidents, in which the drivers responsible for knocking down pedestrians leave their victims on the road and elude police searchers. Now one of the major features of the terrific general problem of traffic control and regulation, the “hit-run” driver is to be the quarry, not only of police, but also of all motorists’ organisations. The general public’s aid is also being enlisted to bring this class of offender to book. Last week there were eight “hit-run" accidents in the metropolitan area, and two of the victims died from their injuries. The police believe that the majority of these criminal drivers are either using stolen cars or are drunk, and thus have a double reason for driving on after pedestrians are knocked down.

Special squads of detectives have been assigned to the inquiries into last week’s eight accidents. The entire squad of niotor detectives is assisting them, as well as special men detailed for duty from suburban stations. A house-to-house canvass is being conducted, and the police feel confident that they will be able to trace at least some of the callous drivers concerned. Rewards of £lOO have been offered for information leading to the detection of the drivers involved in the two fatal accidents. Because of the danger of the reads, it has been suggested that a large squad of mobile police should be added to the patrols, in an effort to catch “hit-run” drivers. The Police Department has recommended special provision of wireless cars for this work, so that these could be summoned to an area in which a hitrun” accident has occurred and a. cordon quickly provided. The police hold the view that most of the “hit-run” offenders are persons illegally using cars. They are urging the Government to amend the law to provide for more severe punishment for this class of offender. Many car thieves hire private lock-up garages, and the police are agitating for legislation compelling owners of such garages to inform the police immediately one is rented. PARKING METERS.

“With all the smiling eagerness of small boys at a pie-eating contest, representatives of various parking meter gadgets paraded their wares before a joint, meeting of the Supervisors’ Finance and Streets and Traffic Committees,” runs a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. “The enticing jingle of motorists’ nickels that would swell tho coffers of the promoters and also tho city treasury, nickels paid for rental of streets built and maintained with those same motorists’ tax money, lent a fine fervour to the speeches of the parking meter emissaries. Nothing final was done about the plan by tho supervisors. They referred it to the city attorney for an opinion on its legality. But enough was brought out at the meeting to provide some significant and even amusing aspects of the current pressure to have San Francisco line its down-town curbs with these parking meter slot machines.

“Three different makes of meters were set up and demonstrated and their virtues extolled by the competing promoters’ agents. Laughter swept the audience over the remarkable coincidence that the cost quoted for each type of meter was exactly the same—sB dollars apiece. The supervisors contrived to keep fairly straight faces. Incidentally, tho ardour of tho parking and meter promoters is probably explained by reports that no basic patents exist which cannot be circumvented by other mechanisms, and that apparently anyone can go into the business and produce meters at a cost of about eight dollars apiece. That means profit of 50 dollars on each meter installed, or 50,000 for 1000 meters. Clearly a sum worth fighting for.

“After the parking meter boys finished speaking their pieces, the storm broke, and it was made vigorously apparent that San Francisco wants to have nothing to do with these hick town nickel-catching devices. “Representatives of the California made it plain that parking meters are nothing more than a revenue producing idea based on a further mulcting of tho motoring public, that, they accomplish nothing in the improvement of parking conditions that cannot, be done as well without them by proper enforcement of present regulations, alid that the plan is also illegal in the light of various high court, decisions.

“The Motor Car Dealers’ Associationof San Francisco presented a resolution denouncing the parking meter proposal as simply a plan to impose an additional burden on the motorist, under the guise of a regulation of doubtful validity.

“Defence of tho motorist was also voiced by representatives of groups which might probably profit indirectly from installation of parking meters.”

WINDSCREEN WIPER TIP. If the blade of an electric windscreen wiper ceases to work, stop the car and its engine, and listen carefully for the sound of the little electric motor in the wiper arm mechanism. In some types of wipers the arm is fitted to a tapered spindle and held tight by a screw in the end of the spindle, and should this screw loosen the spindle will simply oscillate within the tapered hole in the wiper arm, which is held motionless by the friction of the rubber blade on the glass.

Recently, when a wiper stopped; operating in the middle of a heavy, downpour well out in the country,' making progress quite impossible, the driver’s alarm was allayed when it, was discovered that the trouble had I this very simple explanation, and tight-,! ening the screw restored the wiper to j its original efficiency. A clue to the. trouble was given when the sound of/ the electric motor could be heard distinctly when the cugiue was switched off preparatory to a patient wait for the rain to stop.

CONSUMPTION OF PETROL.

IMPORTANT FACTORS.

If the question of petrol consumption is studied it is found that this is affected by a number of factors, of which road speed is not the least important. But exerting an even greater influence than this is the size of the engine in relation to the car weight. Years ago it was believed, and many people still believe, that a car with a very small engine would give a high mileage to the gallon of petrol, but while it will do this under certain circumstances it will be found in most cases that if such a car is driven fairly fast, (although not necessarily excessively so) the rate of petrol consumption will increase to an alarming degree. It has been learnt that within certain limits the rate of petrol consumption varies according to the throttle opening, and if a car with a small engine is driven slowly along on quarterthrottle the high mileage claimed for it. will bo recorded, but when it is desired to maintain a reasonably high cruising rate it will be found necessary to keep the throttle open fairly wide, while in accelerating from rest and climbing hills the throttle will have to be pushed open to its limit. To cite a’concrete example, a fairly light car with a quite small engine, when tested recently over 100 miles at a steady speed of 40 miles an hour in fairly level country, gave the petrol consumption which the makers claimed, but when the same car was taken away on a two days’ journey in the country, a trip calling for some hill climbing and involving many miles of fast, cruising at 55-60 miles an hour a rate, it should bo observed, well within the car’s capacity—tho petrol consumption was increased by no less than 25 per cent. On the other hand, a car of popular size with a powerful engine will cruise all day on quarter-throttle at the same speed as the lighter model in question,, or even a little faster, and the difference in petrol consumption at that sliced and the more economeial pace of 40 miles an hour will be negligible, apparently for the reason that the throttle opening is much smaller as the engine is more lightly loaded, and even when climbing hills and starting from rest it is not necessary to press the accelerator to the limit of its travel. POWER TO WEIGHT RATIO.

It. would appear, therefore, that for fast cruising the most desirable car is one in which a nice balance has been struck between engine size and car weight. If a small engine is fitted the petrol consumption will be little if any better, and the engine will be subjected to greater stress, while if the power unit is excessively large then a heavy rate of consumption may be expected. Of course, if the driver is content to crawl along, then the advantage claimed for the small engine will be realised, but it will be found that for practical motoring at reasonable speeds over give and take roads, such a car will give disappointingly poor results in this- respect.' When a small engine is heavily loaded and runs for a great part of its time pulling fairly hard with a wideopen throttle, no other result could be GX P GC t GCI • There is another point which motorists should observe if they want to keep petrol consumption within reasonable limits. It is most inadvisable to bear down heavily on the throttle when accelerating away from rest, eleven when increasing speed with the car in motion. Always make any alterations to speed by an even, steady pressure, and when the desired pace has been reached, ease back on the throttle until the car remains constant ut the desired speed. Gentle treatment of the throttle will have quite a profound influence on the rate of petrol consumption, and the difference in the consumption of two cars of the same model is frequently the difference in tho methods of the l wo drivers. DRIVING MAXIMS. A recent set of driving maxims aired in tho American Press reads: — i (1) Never overtake a car unless you are positive that there is ample space ahead; that means, of course, never on a. curve or a hill. (2) Slow down when approaching all intersections, including private driveways, and thus have your car under complete control and prepared to stop. . (3) Slow down tvhen approaching any child or pedestrians and thus be prepared for any unexpected movement. . (4) Keep your brakes and lights, in fact, your entire car, in good condition’, as safe a condition as when it

was new. (5) Stop on red traffic signals and stay slopped until the light has turned green. Rushing signals invites disaster.

(6) Come to a dead stop at stop signs because the other fellow has the right of way. (7) If you have been drinking don t drive. Of course, you believe you are sober, but the evidence is all against sober drivers who have been drinking. (8) Slow down to compensate for slippery streets caused by rain, snow, or ice. 19) Slow down when driving at night. There is no substitute for daylight when it conies to visibility. (10) Always drive at a speed which will permit you to stop within the as surefl clear distance ahead., U you don’t get in a jam you won’t have to get out of one. SOMETHING WRONG. Professor (to motorist): Your pneumatic contrivance has ceased to function.” Motorist: “Eh. what? Professor: “I say, your tubular air contrivance has lost its rotundity.” Motorist: “I don’t quite—”

Professor: “The cylindrical apparatus which supports your vehicle is no longer inflated.” Motorist: “But —”

Professor: "The elastic fabric surrounding the circular frame whose suc-

cessive evolutions bear you onwards has not retained its pristine roundness.” Motorist: “But would you kindly—” Small Boy: "Hey, mister, yer tyre’s bust!”

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