THE TENDENCY TO RACE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 2 June 1928, Page 14

THE TENDENCY TO RACE

It is a curious fact that comparatively few motorists can remain totally unmoved and inactive while the car they are driving is being overtaken' by another It may very well happen that a driver i.s in no particular hurry, and is out on the road chiefly to enjoy the fresh air. Vet when a warning note is heard behind and a car shows signs of passing, or actually goes by, it is fairly (ertain that the driver will press down bis foot further on- the accelerator and try to demonstrate that, he, too, does not always keep strictly to twenty. Without in any sense involving a race upon the public roads, this competitive spirit is noticeable among own'ers of all types and even ages. If the overtaken vehicle be of the sports or hotstuff variety, caught in a moment of inattention on the part of the man at the wheel, it is a thousand to one that the temptation to speed up for a mile or two will be too great to be resisted. Particularly amusing are the instances in which a salcon of the 40 li.p. class is passed by an Austin Seven, or other miniature car. Should this take place on an up grade—as happens not infrequently in these days of the efficient small cars—the expression on the faces of the driver of the big car and its passengers is usually a study in as* tonishment- and incredulity.