MOTORING NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 27 February 1939, Page 10

MOTORING NOTES

NEW CAR MODELS IMPORTANCE OF EFFICIENT LIGHTING I j (By Gerald Ely, London, for ( “The Mail”) It is unnecessary to stress the connection between road accidents and lighting. When the densely trafficked highways of every country come to be adequately lighted there will probably be a very big drop in road casualties ’ in every part of the world where motor ; vehicles are normally used. To takeonly four countries, it has been established in Britain, the United States, France and Germany that most accidents occur in the months of least daylight. In Britain, in the winter months, the accident totals go up with a rush compared with the summer months, despite the fact that the number of motorists on the road is much less during the former season that during the latter. This may seem to some people a good argument against all-the-year-j round motoring, but looked at in that way an even more conclusive though I absurd, argument may be advanced against the abolition of motoring altogether. The motor car has come to, stay, but it does not necessarily follow that high accident totals have also come to stay. In America they have I made a slogan of the three “E’s”—Eduj cation, Engineering and Enforcement — i and it is claimed that this campaign | has already caused a big drop in road casualties. But the drawback to specially planned road safety campaigns is . that they lose their effect as soon as they lose their momentum.

What is required, in addition to a permanent campaign, is to give foad users every assistance in their efforts to drive carefully, and my own view is that one of the best methods is to light the road, not only adequately, but brilliantly. In time to come, those responsible for the roads will be forced to illuminate every highway of importance regardless of the cost. I envisage a system of flood-lighting which will be entirely different from the present methods which cast dangerous shadows. FOCUSSING AND ALIGNING Meanwhile it is up to every motorist to see that his own lights give of their best and that he controls them in a way that ensures the greatest amount of safety for himself and for all road users. Too many car owners are content to go along with badly focussed lights which illuminate the tree-tops rather than the road. It is a simple matter to ensure that the lamps are properly focussed and aligned. This operation is usually carried out by means of a slotted tube in which the bulb-holcler is moved backwards or forwards after the clamping screw is slackened, or by placing the bulb in one of three alternative notches in the bulb holder. The things to avoid are placing the bulb too close to the reflector, which will produce a diverging beam with a dark patch in the centre, or placing the bulb too far forward, when the beam will converge. Some good advice on the subject was recently given in a trade journal, and as it applies to most cars, it is worth while reproducing it. When accurately focussed, the lamps should be aligned by slackening the fixing nut at the base of each headlight and tilting or swivelling the lamps on their mountings until the beams are parellel to one another and to the road when in the undipped position. It must be borne in mind, however, that if passengers are usually carried in the rear seal, allowance must be made for their weight in light cars if the lights are focussed when the car is empty. Otherwise the beams may be tilted slightly when the rear scat is fully occupied.

Lamp bulbs should be renewed after a period of sonic thousands of miles of use. Their deterioration is gradual, and the driver sometimes gets so accustomed to the diminished light that he fails to realise the bulbs are much below par. It is not as easy as it ought to be to change a bulb, and I would advise motorists to experiment on each lamp, during the daylight, so that he will know exactly what to do if he is caught out 1n the dark. But I should like to repeat again my advice, given recently, to let others do what you would have doue yourself. This sounds like the inversion of a well-known aphorism, but it is sound advice for the inexpert. The man from whom you buy your petrol, or who does your repairs, will be only two glad to show you how to replace a bulb. WORTH-WHILE SPARES I do not recommend the carrying of many spares, but a bulb in the locker is worth two in the shop. I should also carry a spare bulb for the traffic indicators where these are fitted. These indicators usually carry a special type of bulb which cannot be replaced by a bulb from one of the other lights. If a direction indicator is used it is, of course, essential to see that it is property lighted. It is better that the indicator should be out of order completely rather than that it should not be lighted, for then the hand will be used to give the necessary right-hand turn signal or the pulling out signal. But in the absence of a spare bulb, it is safe to rob Peter to pay Paul. Usually it is the bulb in the offside indicator that goes first, and as it is by means of this indicator that the vital signals are given, the bulb may be taken out of the near-side indicator which is less frequently used. There * is only one precaution that must be | taken in exchanging the good bulb for ! the bad. Make sure that you replace

the bad offside bulb into the nearside I indicator, otherwise you may have a “short” if. as a matter of habit, the latter indicator is put up. While the driver is about if, he might as well ask the garage man how to change a bulb in an indicator. A good lime to make the request is when the car has been taken in for a periodical look-over of the lighting system .Where the cars are wired on the earth-return system—that is lo say; the current gets to the lamps by means of insulated wiring and returns to the battery by way of the chassis or “earth”—it is simple enough to discover whether the unsatisfactory lighting or flickering is due to the wiring or bad “earthing.” SIMPLE TEST Hold a piece of flex with the end scraped, against the plated rim of the headlamp, or better still against the reflector, and touch any part of the chassis which is bare of enamel, if the light becomes bright as a result of this contact, the changes arc that there is rust between the surfaces of the ball joint which enables the lamp to be aligned on its mounting. A little cleaning should do the trick. But if it does not, make certain that the reflector is making proper contact with the lamp shell. The motorist who can do all that, will probably not need to be told that if the lights are still unsatisfactory, he must check over the rest of the wiring. But this is a difficult job for the inexpert, and I would suggest that at this stage they should have recourse to expert advice. During an inspection of the electrical system, the battery will, naturally, also be examined. There are many ills to which the battery is heir, usually due to neglect. The careful owner, even if he has little mechanical knowledge, can ensure for himself that the terminals are not loose or corroded in the latter case scrape away the stuff and plaster well round with vaseline. Make sure that the cells are well topped up. for failure to do so leads to damage of the battery cells. If the car has not been used for some time the chances are that the battery needs attention. Let the service station tell you it the battery is in fit condition.