MOTORING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11280, 9 August 1930, Page 11

MOTORING.

TWO USEFUL HINTS

Many motorists to-day take a keen interest in matters mechanical, and, in consequence repeatedly discover that there are numerous small yet unimportant details which can be attended to by tliemselves without on all ! occasions seeking professional help. Naturally, the more serious repair or adjustment jobs‘should be left to those who ‘ specialise, but more often, than not,., with the aid of useful and, practical hints and tips the lesser running adjustments can bo done quite readily in one’s own garage. For example, a source of ignition trouble can be a sticky rocker arm;. Qil : should not boused. After removing the rocker and cleaning ‘ the rockcjr arni bearing, elleetivo lubrication pan best be .obtained' with the aid of a lead 'pencil, tho lead, or graphite, serving as a dry lubricant. Another useful hint to help detach an obstinato wheel , is to attach a suitable. strap to the wheel spokes and insert p jack, in the loop between the end of the axle and the strap; then operate the jack ni the oidnmiy way, aiul the. stickiest wheel (VMB soon respond.

teaching safety

CHILDREN OF AMERICA

At present 175,Q00 schoolboys Ain America are acting as schoolboy pa-

irols. They- are organised and supported by tJio American Automobile Association. The automobile clubs are making safety lessons and. safety posters for 3,500,000 school, children.

The Californian Automobile . Association as its share in the work, sponsors an army of 5000 of the older boys throughout the State. Their duty is to protect younger children on tlioir. wa'y to and from schools. The organisation and training of these patrols has the ’ co-operation of school authorities and police departments in the town schools and the State Division <*f Motor Vehicles in the rural schools. The motorists’ organisation supplies monthly poster lessons on commonn traffic hazards to child- • xen in 12,500- class-rooms. The recent American national conference on street and highway safety pointed out that safety education among both adults and children and intelligent co-operation of. motorists and pedestrians have an equal place with uniform laws and regulations, and their effective enforcement, in the solution- of the traffic problem and the prevention of accidents and •fatalities.

The conference stressed that soluion of traffic evils does not rest solely with uniform measures in handling traffic or on the diligence of traffic officials. Users of the streets and highways, whether on foot or in vehicles have an equal, responsibility, the fulfilment of which is essential to ultimate success in handling the problem. Safety education in the schools, and among the public generally, is a basic and fundamental necessity in dealing witl.l the matter, and co-operation between traffic authorities and tile public a first requisite in approaching the question, as. through it ultimately the largest measure of success is to be obtained. The conference laid it down that strong emphasis should he given to safety education in schools. Accidents to children should receive the serious consideration of the school authorities in every community, and the school authorities, besides instructing tli ecliiidren, should join with police officials in providing for tilt*"safety .of children and in the compelling of compliance with traffic regulations in the vicinity of school buildings. MANY TYPES. DRIVERS ON THE HOAD. THE DANGEROUS LOITERER. Opinions differ as to which is the best type of driver. The liian who habitually takes his ear over tho road at a breakneck pace is often referred to as a daring and clever motorist (remarks a writer in the “Autocar”). On the other hand, men who never drive fast and surround themselves with a multitude of precautions arc sometimes held up as models of what should be. Ono of the most nerve-destroying drivers I ever sat beside was a slow driver. Ho never exceeded 25 miles per hour his wife ruled him from the hack seat, and whenever a dec-ison had to he taken, he changed his mind two or three times before finally deciding what lie would do. It sometimes happened that the final decision was taken too latb for safety.

QUICKNESS OE DECISION. On the other hand, one of the .best men I ever rode with was an exrace driver of tventy-five years’ experience, who had retained all his, freshness of vouth. On one occasion we had to make an emergency dash through traffic, and tb e quickness of deeison of that man was equivalent to that of Tilden in an international tennis match. He knew uhen he could pass and when he could not; he never accelerated and decided a second later that it was a case for brakes. Ho knew wliat he had to do, and ho did it without a fraction of a second’s hesitation. With lnm at the wheel one felt perfectly sate all the time. . . ~ Probably the best driver- is the one who gets over the ground at the highest speed with the least apparent effort, either muscular or mechanical. This implies, impeccable gear change, the handling of the engine in such a way that it neither races nor is allowed to knock; the correct speed for every bendsa that tlio passengers do not feel that thev -are being catapulted around tho"corners; and the firm but gentle use of the brakes'. Such a method of driving is the best from the standpoint of tli c mechanism and of the tyres. 'LOITERING a MENACE. While the man who is intoxicated with sliced is a nuisance to everybody on the road, the loitering driver can bo a real danger. Car driving calls for a certain amount of concentration, and unless this factor is present it is' impossible iordriving to be of high quality, personally, I have committed faults when loitering, when just sauntering alone with thoughts directed to the scenery or to some obpcct tar removed from the Oar —faults which 1would never have •perpetrated in normal moments, and still less when trying to get over tlic ground quickThe. man Who habitually loiters, who never fixes his, mind upon the car and tho handling of it, who lias never felt real enthusiasm for drrvinn*, is always a menace, for constantly being taken by surprise and plunged into situations from which it is difficult for lnm to extricate himself. DAZZLE PREVENTION. ACTION TAKEN IN BRITAIN. The dazzle problem is concerning the .Ministry of Transport of Great Britain. A Royal Commission on Transport has recommended that dipping headlamps should be compulsory, and it is likely that legislation' will .bo introduced. There' are over 900,000 Cars in Great Britain; and probablv only a- tenth have dipping headlights. Tho introduction of legislation - on the matter: y ould .mean that hundreds of thousands of ears would have "to bq converted. Tho alterations -would no doubt .be simplified .by the immediate offering of conversion sots for, popular cars, but even where : existing lamps could be utilised T the change over woufd cost a few pounds.’ Iti is -, apparent that some millions' of 'pounds would he spoilt by motorists m complying with this regulation. Tho inventor producing, a -cheap conversion set, would be assuredof a fortune. The suggestion seems rather' drastic and costly. It- would bo less expensive _ to adopt tlie i Ncw.i- Zealand' regulation for.-; the adjustment- of headlamp beams, and to provide staffs to check up! when.the annual hbrsc-power tax is- psiid.L No doubt there are eases in which, lamps': adjusted, to throw a low beam afe-deliberately or accidentally restored 'to a gluriug position. Many motorists would; nob take kindly to the dipping control. It is

a, matter of taste. Dipping lamps and pivoted reflectors can be seen on several makes of car in N.Z, The clipping reflector, pneumatically •or magnetically operated, is very effective,. On ono British car tho pushing of a button dips both reflectors and inclines them to the left. This provides excellent illumination, when taking a sharp, left-hand bend, and ono does not Have to drive blind for a. dozen yards or so as in the case .of lights throwing ahead only. Ono appreciates this equipment when it conies with the car, but there will bo endless trouble in England if miscellaneous conversions are ordered. New Zealand motorists have bad experience of this forcing of additions to tlie ear. The Motor Vehicle Regulations, 1928, resulted in the sale of about 175,000 red rear reflectors, most of which turned out to 'he worthless pieces of colored glass'. Even the effective reflectors which one’s headlights occasionally pick but are rarely visible as soon a.s the tail lamp comes into view. !

DRIVING TOO SLOWLY.

MOTORIST ARRESTED IN NEW YORK.

The point traffic congestion lias reached in New York is indicated by a message from New York, published in the “Christian Science Monitor” (Boston), wllicit is a.s follows: “The monotonous routine of traffic court lias been broken, not by a case of super-speeding or reckless driving, bub by the arraignment of a motorist charged with driving too slowing. “Magistrate Renaud discharged the offender, Mortimer Peterkiu, because there was no statute to cover the case. The patrolman who arrested Peterkiu at Sixth Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street said the man’s car was moving so leisurely that it was obstructing traffic, and that he declined to increase the speed.”