MOTOR REVIEW

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 2 March 1935, Page 15

MOTOR REVIEW

—Cars and Their Upkeep —

Making Up Lost Time Does Not Necessarily Mean Fast Driving

This? is where they make a mistake, for speed alone will not save much time on any journey, , and driving near the maximum speed for a long time will unquestionably tire most people. They will slack off or stop to rest after a short burst and be overtaken by the, car going at a steady cruising speed.. If you think it out it is not difficult to see why for 00 m.p.h. compared with 45 m.p.h. over a short distance represents very few minutes saving of time; and these minutes gained are lost almost as soon as one stops.

The great thing then, is to keep going at a comfortable cruising speed, a speed which stresses neither passengers nor car.

jr Wise driving in traffic will save time, " qmo. Think of the time lost when you have to follow a lorry for miles simply' because you are too close behind it, and, your view obstructed, you cannot see whether it is safe to pass. It is always safer and quicker to be some distance behind so that if you pull out to see how clear the road is you . can always get back if it is necessary. Too many people pull out from immediately behind a slow-moving vehicle to see whether the road is clear. If the lorry stops suddenly for any Teason they will not be able to get back. Again, when there are two lines of traffic, there is an art in being in the right stream, i.e., the stream in which there is not a horse dray or lorry a few cars ahead. It is simply a matter of looking ahead for any form of possible obstruction. For example, you will waste time by being in the righthand stream if the cars in front are going to turn right and will need to wait in order to allow oncoming traffic to pass before doing so. If there are three streams the middle one is usually the quickest moving. On hills you can save time by changing into third at the moment when speed on top begins to fall off and again early into second if you are obstructed by traffic ahead. If you are already in a low gear you will be able to taken an opportunity of passing when it presents itself. If you wait until you see the chance before changing you will waste a few seconds in getting up the necessary revolutions to pass safely and quickly.. In descending hills you will be able

to go faster in greater safety by keepin third or even second than by

IT is an exceptional occasion for most people when they leave on a journey by road at scheduled time, for it has become a habit of'the age to leave things until the last possible moment. Getting one’s passengers ready, packing the luggage, filling up and making sure that nothing has been forgotten, always seem to take longer than anticipated. After a belated departure too many drivers imagine that the way to make up for lost time is to drive as fast as conditions permit.

going down cautiously in top with the brakes applied.

On corners the driver will always be at an advantage who changes into third as he slows down. This will give him quicker acceleration out of the corner and greater stability and a wider margin of safety when actually in it. The wrong way to take a sharp bend is to approach it fast in top gear, brake heavily and then change gear. The fastest, safest cornering always gives .the impression of smoothness. There should be no jerking and lurching. For one thing, it tires the passengers. There should always be a margin of safety in case the unexpected is encountered. On a winding road correct cornering methods will save considerable time.

More time is lost on a long journey by actual stops than by any other cause. These can be obviated by a little forethought. Stopping to -fill up will waste five minutes, to buy cigarettes another five, to secure the luggage another five, to replace a lamp bulb another five, and so on. A meal will probably cause more delay than anything, unless you choose a place where service is known, or can be safely assumed to be quick. Every motorist should realise, too, that the one way in which not to save time is by taking unwonted risks; nothing will delay him more effectively than an accident, while argument and the probable showing of his license after an ostentatious piece of driving in' a traffic block will nullify all his previous efforts to make up time. Unduly stressing his car, also, will make it.more prone to break down, and should be regarded in the same light as taking risks. Much stress can be saved by being sure that the car is well shod, well tuned, and well driven. When the car is going well, you will become less tired in a given distance and be more alert in consequence.

You pan usually save the necessity for rush by being on the liberal side when estimating your time of arrival and it is better to send a telegram en route saying that you will be arriving a little later than to attempt to achieve the impossible. Moreover you will enjoy the journey far more if you do not force yourself by circumstances into regarding your car as a mere means of getting there.