MOTORDOM

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 September 1939, Page 9

MOTORDOM

NEWS OF THE ROAD

(By

“Gearbox”)

FIVE YEARS’ GROWTH. j _—. 1 NORTH ISLAND MOTOR UNION. In his address to the annual meeting of the North Island Motor Union, the president, Dr. E. Ei Porritt, stated that the membership this year showed an increase of 118 per cent.,, compared with 1935, while in the same ) period the increase in the number oil private motor-cars licensed in the | North Island was 61 per cent., sbow- ( ing that factors other than the in- ■ creased number of motor vehicles en-,' ter in the growth of the motor asso-. ciations. He gave a table showing, the membership figures for the five years. The total in 1935 was 31,aJy,, and year by year it rose to 36,355,1 46,008, 56,253, and, this year, 65,055. | The following figures from the table] give the individual association in-1 1 | |

SOUNDING OF HORNS. Many motorists continued the practice of hooting loudly when approaching a crossing and then took, it for granted that the intersection was clear; motorists, too, created a nuisance in needless hooting at night, stated the annual report of th© North Island Motor Union, presented at the conference in Palmerston North. Reports available to the union on the effect of the prohibition of the use of motor horns at night in England, combined with the desire to have the offence removed, had led to the recommendation being made that the use of horns on . motor vehicles be prohibited, except in cases of emergency, between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.xn. A DUTY TO REMEMBER.

“After an accident in which a motorist is involved, and in which someone has been injured, it is the duty of the motorist, no matter how slight the injury, to report the accident to the police,” said Mr. A. M. Gouiding, S.M., in the Lower Hutt Court. “It may be that the injuries are very slight, and that the injured party is not desirous of taking the matter further, but in any case a motorist is safeguarding himself by reporting the matter. Apparently slight injuries have been known to develop into very serious ones.” The remarks were made during the hearing of two cases of failing to report accidents in which injuries had been received. Tn one case, projecting canvas on the carrier of a car caused one of two racing cyclists to fall, and brought the other one down. In the other, a car and cycle came , into collision, minor abrasions to the girl cyclist resulting. COMPRESSION GAS ENGINES. IMPORTANCE IN WAR-TIME. One of the first of the emergency war regulations, introduced by the New Zealand Government, concerned the rationing of petrol supplies, and,

though the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan, has expressed the hope that it may be found possible to relax the restrictions as soon as it is ascertained what supplies of motor spirits are coming forward, and what prospect there is of obtaining further regular shipments, the prompt introduction of the restrictions is a reminder of the rather difficult position created by war conditions for countries dependent on overseas supplies of oil, quite apart from the greatly increased demand for oil for war purposes. Therefore, the development, in Britain, of new types of motor-car engines, driven by high.-compression coal gas, wliicli it is claimed operate as efficiently as engines driven by petrol, is of as much interest to New Zealand as it is to the Old Country. British members of Parliament recently attended a demonstration of these engines. They were evolved at the National Gas and Oil Engine Company’s works at Ashton-under-Lyne, England, and it is believed that they may well revolutionise the fuel aspect of road transport. The importance of the development in time of war is obvious, and the British Government has shown a keen interest in the new engines. Already the United Kingdom Gas Corporation is investigating the possibility of setting up gas-filling stations in various parts of the country. These will refuel gas-driven lorries

and gas-driven motor vehicles from cylinders containing compressed, gas or from gas compressors on precisely the same principle as that used in putting air into tyres. The whole operation occupies only a few seconds. motor cars. RECORD PRODUCTION FIGURES. The directors of Morris Motors, Ltd., England announce that, for the six months, January 1 to June 30, 1939, nearly 60,000 Morris models were delivered to distributors and dealeis throughout Great Britain alone; a figure which constitutes a record for the company, and which is believed to be a record for the British motor industry. During the first quarter of the year, January to March, more than 31,000 models were delivered, and there is little doubt that the figure of 60,000 cars for the six months would have been exceeded, except for the fact that the factory had been closed twice during the six months, for the usual Easter and Whitsun holidays.. It is interesting to note, in connection with this record output figure that, in order to achieve it, one complete car has left the factory, on an average, every minute of each working day during the past six months. HIS IDEA WAS STOLEN! Somebody else—a so-called friend — reaped a huge reward! Run no risks. Patent your idea. Remember —delays are always dangerous! Consult us now—fully and confidentially.—Henry Hughes Ltd. (Directors: W. E. Hughes and J. T. Hunter, Registered Patent Attorneys), 214-217 D.I.C. Building, Wellington.—Advt.

TRAFFIC CONTROL. LESSONS FROM AMERICA. Traffic control, the traffic education cf school children, the parking of cars in business areas, camping, highways, sign-posting, the policing of roads, the observance of traffic regulations and matters of special concern to Automobile Association authorities were among the many aspects of motoring closed investigated by Mr. Darcy Camcron, chief service officer of the Automobile Association (Taranaki) during a recent ten-weeks’ trip to California. Mr. Cameron has presented to the association committee a preliminary and summarised report of his Californian trip. “Thanks to the wholehearted cooperation of the auto clubs I was able to leave for home happy in the know ledge that I had the solution to every problem I submitted to them, and also that in certain aspects we are working in the right direction and arcahead of them,” said Mr. Cameron. He had very complete data on the vexed question of the traffic education and control of school children, he said, and could now see clearly how the problem should be handled here and just how much of the responsibility rested on the, association. The Americans had very clear-cut and definite views on the subject after a long period of trial and error and were achieving excellent results with the method in use there at present. Pitching camps with tents was a thing of the past anywhere in America. In California, where eight months without rain were assured, tents had disappeared because the novelty had soon worn off and the touring family looked for greater comfort and convenience. So the “auto court 01 “motel” was universally established. “The remarkable standard reached is beyond the needs of New Zealand at present, but we can and should foster the idea and endeavour to encourage more cabins to be built by civic and private enterprise,” said Mr.

Cameron. The parking of cars in business areas was the major problem in America to-day, and was a subject so big and complex that he would do no more than say that he had all the data and ideas to form the basis of a separate report which he thought should help solve the problem in New Plymouth. . , ~ , , “I warn you, the cure is drastic, but if the problem is not faced the result in time will be disastrous, as proved in towns and cities in America which waited too long,” he said. He saw many good ideas in traffic control, but the outstanding one was the compulsory stop at all roads or streets entering a major highway. This regulation worked so smoothly and was accepted and observed by all so wholeheartedly that he wondered it had not been introduced into New Zealand as a safety measure long ago. “Road courtesy and the standard of observance of ordinary traffic regulations is much higher in America,” he said. “Leaving the kerb or turning in front of approaching traffic, stopping for pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, entering a major highway, allowing an overtaking vehicle to pass, etc —all these simple rules are much, more rigidly and good-hu-

mouredly observed than in New Zealand. Travelling speeds of all types of vehicles are much higher.” Of course, the highways were wonderful and New Zealand was a long way behind, but one simple thing which the Dominion could have and of which it was hard to realise the benefit until experienced was the continuous centre line on narrow roads. On the narrow roads of Taranaki it would be a great improvement, giving as it did to the timid driver tlie effect of a much wider road and keeping the wanderer to his correct side. Registration and re-license formalities were just as cumbersome and irritating as New Zealand’s in another way, so he had no better idea to bring back whereby the Dominion system could be simplified. The only major difference was that every application for plates for a new car or transfer of a used car to a new owner must be accompanied by a certificate of sale by the dealer. Petrol supplies were available at all hours and frequent distances. Even long desert journeys were catered for. The policing of roads —by motorcycle police—was rigid, but the Americans favoured the New Zealand method of the police in cars circulating in traffic, with education rather than conviction the policy of the department. They were very disgusted with their police methods —promotion by the 1 number of convictions —and all that

that method meant. CARE ON BAD ROADS. ADVICE TO MOTORISTS. “To be forewarned is to be fore armed! to bo prepared is half tht victory. The truth, of that a,ge-ok wisdom is demonstrated amply, in the everyday tasks of the motorist, pe destrian, cyclist, or other road-usini unit,” says a road safety message ol the Automobile Association (Welling tou )> IIIC - . x. • „ “Apart altogether from being efli cient and knowing the technique ol one’s form of road usage at the time there is a further great advantagf in being forewarned of danger spots or sections of roads where experience shows there are greater hazards be setting those who use the thorough fares. Those hazards may exist n road surface conditions, variation n or lack of street lighting, density ol traffic, speed, bad bends, masked coi ners, and so on. “No matter how careful one may be as pedestrian, motorist, cyclist, hoise rider, or driver, it is well to know ii advance whether or not any particu lar section of street or highway has t reputation as a danger section. "Through statistics, the Transpor Department is able to decide whethei a section has a bad reputation or not For instance, in the ratio of accidents a mile the South Island has the tw< most dangerous sections in New Zea land, namely Christchurch-Kaiapoi, 4.! accidents a mile, and Invercargill-Wai lacetown, 4.0 accidents a mile. Thess sections should be known by Nortl Island motorists who may visit ths South. “In the North Island in the pas-

two years and a quarter, the sections with the worst reputations have been as follow: Napier-Hastings Hi miles, 38 accidents or 3.4 a mile; MastertonCarterton, 6i miles, 19 accidents, qi 3.0 a mile; Lower* Hutt-Upper Hutt, Similes, 17 accidents, or 3.0 a mile; Waikanae-Paekakariki, 10 miles, -7 accidents, 2.7 a mile; Otahuhu-Hamil-ton, 571 miles, 43 accidents, 2.5 a mile* Pahautanui-Johnsonville, 131 miles, 32 accidents, 2.4 a mile; Wanga-nui-Wangaehu, 9 miles, 20 accidents, 2.2 a mile. Local residents and travelling motorists should make a mental note of the bad reputation which attaches to ’ any particular stretch of roadway. ! The exercise of double caution by all concerned will offset any hazaids of ! those sections, and remove the unde- ' servcdly bad reputation of a road ! which, after all, is no more dangerous ' than the act of the people privileged to use it.” i, . . . 1 LJS ■

creases for the five years: 1939. 1935. Auckland 16,913 32,806 Taranaki 1,376 3,136 South Taranaki 2,080 3,610 Wanganui 1,671 4,322 Hawkes Bay .. 1,420 6,548 Wairarapa 1,532 3,785 Wellington 5,167 11,444