FROM HERE AND THERE

Southland Times, Issue 22969, 15 August 1936, Page 19

FROM HERE AND THERE

THE FASCINATION OF A CAR RADIO There is an extraordinary fascination in a car radio which is inescapable, (says a writer in The Star-Sun). Driving along with the radio turned on, the occupants have that sensation that the pioneers of radio felt when, in breathless silence, they first heard the strains of music or the sound of human voice. But it is a lasting sensation and does not devolve into the present habit nowadays of having the radio set on in a house all the time and not listening. The music, or whatever it is that has been tuned in, definitely holds the interest of the driver and passengers, and rather than causing the driver to lose attention in his driving, it keeps him more on the alert. Numerous objections have been raised to the installation of radio sets in cars, but the objector need only drive a car with one installed and he would probably purchase one himself. The chief objection, of course, is that the driver’s attention is distracted but, as stated above, the driver is, if anything, more alert. Another bone of contention is that the current used causes the battery to run down, but under normal conditions, the battery needs no more attention than without the set. As in the home radio, car radio has gone through all the developmental stages and is quite as good for reception as the ordinary set. Car noises have been suppressed to such an extent that they are negligible. In fact, there is nothing that can be said against the car radio. Driving Maxims. A recent set of driving maxims aired in The American Press reads:— (1) Never overtake a car unless you are positive that there is ample space ahead; that means, of course, never on a curve or a hill. (2) Slow down when approaching all intersections, including private driveways, and thus have your car under complete control and prepared to stop. (3) Slow down when approaching any child or pedestrians and thus be prepared for any unexpected movement. (4) Keep your brakes and lights, in fact, your entire car, in good condition, as safe a condition as when it was new. (5) Stop on red traffic signals and stay stopped until the light has turned green. Rushing signals invites disaster. (6) Come to a dead stop at stop signs because the other fellow has the right of way. (7) If you have been drinking don’t drive. Of course, you believe you are sober, but the evidence is all against sober drivers who have been drinking. (8) Slow down to compensate for slippery streets caused by rain, snow, or ice. (9) Slow down when driving at night. There is no substitute for daylight when it comes to visibility. (10) Always drive at a speed which will permit you to stop within the assured clear distance ahead. If you don’t get in a jam you won’t have to get out of one.

Adequate Visibility. One of the first, if not the first, essentials to motoring safety is adequate, that is complete visibility, and this is the time of the year when several factors combine to destroy visibility, (writes“ Chassis in The Dominion). The appearance of the glass on motor cars in Wellington recently suggests just so many drivers have not the fullest effect range of driving vision. This is the time of year when the weather militates against visibility. The atmosphere affects the outside as well as the inside of windows and windscreens, and that effect, allied to the general murkiness of thoroughfares, and the play of light and shadow on rain-washed bitumen surfaces, makes trouble for the motorist. Obviously, far too many drivers do not pay enough attention to the correct ventilation of their closed cars so as to counteract the frosting over of windows and windscreens. It is important that a driver should be able to command an unobscured view not only in front, but to the sides as well. To be able to see only through the segment patterned by a windscreen wiper is not nearly enough. To the left of one’s driving position is a place of danger through parked vehicles and pedestrians. It is a wise motorist who keeps himself healthy and his windows unfrosted by providing proper ventilation, quite a simple matter to attend to. Another feature of travel this weather is noticeable. Though road surfaces are greasy, wet and treacherous, many drivers make no effort to adjust their speed accordingly. Vehicles are driven as if the roads were perfectly dry. Needless to say, a driver who uses the same speed on a wet road as he would on a dry one is looking for a heap of trouble. One cannot take risks with road surfaces, and wet tram rails are a substantial trap in city thoroughfares. Traffic Burden of British Roads. The Dutch highway authorities will shortly issue statistics showing the traffic “load factor” carried by the main highways in various countries, (writes our English motoring correspondent). Up to the present it has been almost impossible to compare the traffic tonnage figures of one country with another because of the varying systems employed in the estimates. As a result of the Dutch activities “load factors” based on the same system and offering interesting comparison will be made known. To British road engineers to-day the traffic burden on any particular road represents a major factor in the selection of the road materials to be used, as well as in the method of construction. The motor vehicle density figure of this country, which was recently stressed by the Minister of Transport, stands at 23 road vehicles per square mile, a figure greatly in excess of any other country. In the United States there are seven roas vehicles per square mile. That the main English highways are therefore subjected to a higher tonnage factor than any continental country is easily understandable. It also follows that increased importance should be given in this country to the question of the “load factor” if the ■ roads are to be efficiently constructed. In most cases ' where the traffic flow is very heavy a i tarmacadam surface is laid. The qual- ' ities of the surfacing ensure that there is adequate resistance to the stresses ; imposed by the frequent passage of . vehicles. Such roads also offer a safe ' tyre grip over a long period without 1 the necessity of frequent repair work. - In this country the “load factor” of ' any road is estimated according to the J different classes of vehicle passing over it during 24 hours. To an extent, the resulting figures must be regarded with i a certain amount of latitude since any i estimate of passing vehicles cannot 1 possibly be really accurate. A more re- 1 liable and practical means of estimating 1 the tonnage figures would be a valu-, 1 able addition to the close scientific re- s search which now represents such an < important part in modem road con- i struction. 1