THE CAMPING SEASON

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE CAMPING SEASON

NO NEED TO I,EAVE TARANAKI. HOW TO NEGOTIATE SAND.

(By

"Spotlight”)

With the approach of the holiday season many motorists are inspecting their camping equipment. The increasing popularity of camping trips within recent years has been responsible for many Taranaki drivers discovering scenic beauties previously unknown to them or known only by hearsay. But there is no need for them to go farther afield than their own province if they feel they cannot afford the time or expense of a ■ longer trip. There are now so many excellent camps in the district that a wide selection offers itself, no matter what kind of canvas holiday the motoring party desires. Beach, glade, riverside and bush are only a few of the campers’ delights from which a choice may be made. The authorities responsible for the camping reserves have lately paid such particular attention to the improvement of facilities that the semisacrifices attending a canvas holiday in times of yore have now entirely disappeared. There is nothing more exasperating to a motor camper than to find his vehicle held prisoner on sand that has no grip. Very heavy sand can generally be negotiated by partial deflation of the tyres. For an ordinary light car 121 b pressure for the front wheels and 161 b for the back is sufficient. The car should be started gently, and given every assistance to get going by easing the sand from round the wheels if they have sung into it, and small bushes or grass laid in the tracks will help; otherwise the strain on the tyre may rip the valve out. The tyres should be reinflated as soon as the hard road is reached again. With the approach of warmer weather motorists would be well advised to take precautions against over-heating of their engines, a common complaint in the summer months. There are numerous causes of overheating, but only in cases of badly worn engines or inadequate cooling systems is it impossible to cure the fault without a great deal of trouble. Heavily-carboned cylinder heads or choked exhaust systems are often responsible for engines running hot, and a thorough clean-out will have immediate results. The cooling system, too, should be flushed out with a mixture of washing soda and water, and refilled with clean, fresh water. The adjustment of the fan belt is another common cause of engines overheating, and should be attended to. Too rich or too poor a petrol-air mixture will cause “boiling” on a long pull, and is a possible source of this kind of trouble. DIRECTIONS TO TRAFFIC HAND SIGNALS NEGLECTED. ’ CANTERBURY BULLETIN. “One great discourtesy by motorists on the road is the habitual neglect to. give hand signals to following or converging traffic of intention to change direction,” says the latest safety first message of the Canterbury Automobile Association. “Unfortunately, discourtesy seems to breed discourtesy on the loads, because the failure to give signals is a prominent feature of driving nowadays, so much so that for traffic inspectors and motorists a course of thought-reading, seems to be a necessary requisite to success. An almost callous indifference is shown by many drivers towards the safety and wellbeing of the other fellow. Particularly is this so when, without any warning, the car in. front suddenly turns to the right or left. The driver of such a car is most selfish and cannot be classed as competent.

“If drivers approaching an intersection knew their job they would consult their rear-view driving mirrors, give a warning honk of the horn, and then hand-signal clearly to the driver following. Tire hand signals for the left, right, or stop are simple enough in all conscience, and should be properly given. It is not a case of dangling a few fingers out of a window. The arm and hand should be fully extended. All hand signals should be given out of the window near the driving wheel, and a warning honk is an added precaution which should not be overlooked. “Where roads converge, a motorist owe' it as a duty to other motorists to signal by hand his intended direction. And here, let it be stated, the courteous driver will give direction signals for the guidance of pedestrians, cyclists, and others who might be on the roads. Safety on the roads depends on the fullest measure of co-operation between all classes of traffic, and no class of road user has a right to act in an unchivalrous manner.