MOTORING WORLD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 133, 7 May 1932, Page 10

MOTORING WORLD

ROAD ACCIDENTS. When the motor speed limit was removed in England last year, under the new Road Traffic Act, there was an outcry from a section of tho English press —-tho contention being that the number of street accidents would be greatly increased when the long imposed speed ban was lifted.

A recent statement in the British Parliament by the Home Secretary disclosed the fact that after ten consecutive years, in which the number of street accidents was steadily increased, the first year’s operation of the new motor regulations had seen an extremely encouraging falling off in street fatalities. The official figures showed that nearly two lives had been saved every day in street.accidents during 1931 — very striking evidence that after all the “driving to tho common danger’’ by-law is definitely bettor protection to tho public than any arbitrary speed limit.

STREAMLINING ADVANTAGES. It is anticipated by scientists and mechanical engineering experts, that not only will motor cars and motor coaches be streamlined in tho not distant future, but also high-speed trains. Increased speed will not be the major objective, but rather decreased cost of operation. Applying the principles of scientific streamlining to automobile design, it lias been proved that even at 40 m.p.li. air resistance demands 00 per cent, of the total power. With correct streamlining—not just rounding off a few corners or a slight sloping of the windscreen, for these half-way measures have little effect —a particularly large proportion of the power now required to propel a vehicle at even fast touring speed can be saved, the percentage of saving increasing with the speed.. If the body, wheels, and mudguards’ considered ns a unit aro shaped according to modern aerodynamics a car shape can be developed that will have but one-fifth of the air resistance of the present type of automobile, yet it will have the same ample passenger space as the modern sedan. It lias been proved that a powerful sedan car, weighing about 32cwt. that requires a 90 li.p. engine for an 80 m.p.li. speed, lias 84 per cent of its power absorbed in overcoming air resistance, while if streamlined it could attain iOO m.p.li. with a 50 h.p. engine, instead of the 100 h.p. that would be required before the conventional sedan could reach such a speed. A present day car that has a top speed of 80 m.p.li. has a petrol consumption of about 10 m.p.g. Streamline the samo vehicle and it will travel 30 miles to the gallon. It is for this reason that streamlining is sure to be generally adopted some day. As to trains, it is computed that a train that now travols at 40 m.p.li. could, if the engine and carriages were properly streamlined, attain a speed of 100 m.p.li. at an additional cost for power, of only a fraction of a halfpenny a mile. There is no doubt in the minds of experts as to whether streamlining will be adopted or not, the only question, they contend, is when it will happen and who will be the first to adopt scientific streamlining. As regards automobiles, the first radical move is likely to bo sponsored in Europe, because such a change in design would not involve the colossal financial outlay that would have to be faced by tho leading car manufacturers of U.S.A. in recasting their mass production plants to take care of a revolutionary type of automobile. For that reason the swing over to correctly streamlined motor cars in America is more likely to (be of a gradual nature.

DANGEROUS PARKING

The dangers of motoring are not confined to cars which are in motion. Cars at rest on the road, and their occupants, are far from being safe. The car which is parked near a road intersection is in possible danger of being struck by the car of a careless driver in turning the corner. Parking on roads close to the summits of steep gradients or at points of sharp curvature is highly dangerous. Getting out of a car by. an off-side door is another hazard which too often is carelessly accepted. . , • . Stopping a car on a busy section of the road is. often done when tyre Changes and other repairs are being carried out, at a serious risk of life and limb to anyone working on the offside of the car. If there is a possibility of so doing, repairs should be deferred until the car can be stopped in a position of safety. . Careless parking should he avoided in all circumstances. Apart from causing an unnecessary. obstruction, an unwisely-parked vehicle obscures the vision of oncoming drivers, who have to swerve widely out into the road.

NOTES. The world’s supply of petroleum in 1931 was 40,000,000 barrels less than "'it mis' 12 years ago last month since the decision was reached to mstituto the liorse-power system of taxation tor private cars in England. . The French trans-Salmra technical expedition, to experiment with special motor fuels, particularly vegetable alcohol, palm oil and castor oil, left Algiers recently. , . Sparks coming from the exhaust pipe are particles of carbon and indicate an excessive amount of deposit formed on the piston heads, valves and cylinder head. , , It is important to check the manifold heater connections to be certain no gas is escaping to the inside of the car and ho sure there is a circulation of air in the closed car. _ When topping batteries with distilled water care should be taken to seo that tlio air vents in the filler caps are clear. Blockage of the vents may cause the gas generated during tlio charging of the battery to force a passage out of any weak pomt and cause leakage of acid. , , Delivering tens of thousands or sparks per minute, varying with car and engine speed, the distributor is about the liigliest speed feature of the car If it is sluggish so is everything else about the engine. One way to keep it performing up to par is to see that the grease cup, winch lubricates many distributors, always is kept full of fresh lubricant. It is always a good plan to tighten lugs on tlio rim after driving a few miles after a tyre has been changed. The glass of the windshield can be prevented from being scratched if the surface is cleaned before the wiper is started. Hard dust particles easily mark the polished surface. Chromium plating is untarnishable, and only requires to be wiped with a damp cloth to remove any mud or dust. It should not bo cleaned with any polish, as it is quito unnecessary, and may harm the chromium skin, which, although hard, is .very thin. _ There are many causes of popping hack into the carburettor, a condition that may cause the engine to catch fire, especially if the outside of it is dirty and covered with oil. The four most common ones are dirt in the carburettor sticking intake valves, water in the gasoline and an air leak at the intake manifold connections.