MOTORING NOTES GLASS ON ROADS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 279, 28 November 1935, Page 10

MOTORING NOTES

GLASS ON ROADS

(By

“Accelerator.”)

HAND SIGNALS AND GADGETS

MOTORISTS WHO ARE NOT DRIVERS. Motor-ears these days are, fascinatingly automatic, but there is an element of danger in that fact when drivers lend io shed their self-reliance and depend solely on tricky little controls and gadets. Consider, for instance, the perfection of the direction indicators which carry their plain and effective message of the right-hand turn. Such indicators are becoming more general in their use, and no doub'. left-hand turns and “stop'' indicators will be incorporated in course of time on most cars. Pending that happy and lazy moto'ing time, when the motorist has little else to do but steer his vehicle, it is well to remember that the giving of left-hand and stop hand signals—and the straight ahead signal, where necessary—are still an important part of safe motoring practice. About all that some new drivers know of signals is that on the near and off sides of their car are funny little projections which register the intention to change direction. They should know that when slowing down they should give the recognised and unmistakeable hand signal of intention as a guide to following traffic. Good drivers arc those who sound the warning device before or at the same time as the "stop” hand signal is given. There may be some road obstruction demanding a k halt, or a driver may decide to pull into the kerbside. It is only common courtesy, safe procedure, and the mark of good and thoughtful driving to rely, not on any automatic and therefore fallible gadget to give warning, but on the manual sign. There are scores of Christchurch motorists who certainly do not deserve the name of drivers, far less good drivers, if one is to judge their conception of what motoring safety means by their failure to give hand signals when, making manoeuvres in traffic. In narrow streets—or wide ones for that matter—it is stupid and dangerous for a motorist to pull out into the path or line of traffic until the way is clear. But these so-called motorists"aggravate the danger by failing to give any warning to drivers that they intend to move ahead. The first that the .travelling driver knows of danger is when the off-side front mudguard of a car he supposes to be parked, and therefore, stationary, projects across his tracks. That may mean sudden brakes, the horn, a skid, or a swerve. Hand signals, as well as automatic devices, are imperative in the interests of safer motoring, and the sooner motorists get that into their selfish heads the better. TYRES AND SAFETY MANY VEHICLES POORLY SHOD. A COMMON MISTAKE AMONG MOTORISTS. While the traffic control authorities do well to direct their attention to brakes and lights on motor vehicles, they might well address themselves to another equally important item of equipment, the .tyres. Casual observation suggests that a high percentage of motor vehicles, mostly of an early vintage, are shod with smooth-surfaced tyres from which all trace of tread has long since disappeared. The part played by smooth tyres in accident and fatality statistics must be fairly considerable. Road surfaces these days are smooth, greasy, without resistance, and only good tyres, efficient brakes and safe speed can avert trouble, particularly in wot weather. Cars overdriven on smooth tyres on paved roads round corners may easily get beyond safe control. Many forces com.o into active, if not vicious, play, and the motorist knows what it. is to be helpless in the face of danger. It is not unusual to see cars shod with badly-woru tyres being driven at high speed. (Drivers do not seem to realise the risks they run. Give the average motorist two brand new tyres. He will invariably put them on the rear wheels. They are the driving wheels, he will tell you, the ones which get the hard work. He wants speed. It is a wrong principle. Actually, if he considered safety, those new tyres would go on the front wheels to make steering, and coruering, as safe as they should be. There should be grip, adhesion, with all four tyres, and I lie front ones are not the least important. One does not presume to know what the traffic or transport authorities can do so far as tyro equipment is concerued, but clearly many motorists are not as careful as they might be. Economy and mileage in relation to tyres weigh with many owner-drivers, but the question of public safety has to be considered also.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR REMOVAL. Glass which has been shattered by - accident is often seen on city streets - and on the open highway. That its -I presence is in the interests of no one I' is obvious to all, yet many motorists s are not aware that they have a duty ; when they arc involved in accidents in i i which glass is scattered, says the latest ■‘safety first message of the Automobile i I Association. ' The regulations under the Mo-tor . Vehicles Act, 1924, say that if from I an accident or other cause, slipperv I substance, or piercing substance such as broken glass, falls from a motor vehicle on to a road it shall be the : duty of the driver of the motor > vehicle to have it removed immediately if he is not incapacitated by the acciI dent. If two motor vehicles are in volvcd in the accident, responsibility f for having the glass removed is on both <1 rivers. If the drivers are in5 capacitated by the accident the perr sons removing the vehicles should also remove the-glass or other substance. TESTING SPARK PLUGS I ; P One method of testing a spark plug ’I is to remove it and place it on top of the cylinder block, with the high-ten- ' siou terminal connected, and then turn the engine and watch for a spark. If one is seen at the points it is taken as ; proof that the plug is firing correctly when installed. This may not be so, however, because when the plug is removed it is firing under atmospheric pressure only, I whereas, when it is in the engine, the / presurc may bo from live to six limes as great. The resistance thus set up may prevent a spark occurring if there is an easier path for the electric current, such as may be caused by dampness. An old method of testing a ’plug, which is usually better, is to short the 'plug with a screw-driver having a wooden handle, while the engine is running. If there is an immediate drop in engine revolutions it is safe to assume that the plug has been doing its work; if not, the plug should be removed and closely examined for any defects. 1936 INDIANAPOLIS stiff task for designers. A further five-gallon reduction in the fuel allowance lor the 1936 Indianapolis 500-niilo race is expected to put race-car builders up against a stiff problem. For some years past the petrol allowance for the race has been gradually cut down, until now cars are allowed only 371-gallons to cover the 500-iuiles—necessitating an average of 13 1-3 miles per gallon. (American). As speed and economy don’t mix very well it will be interesting to see what can be done in the way of getting more miles per hour in the face of the requirement of more miles per gallon. In 1934 when the race was slower some of the cars averaged*close on 15 m.p.g. In the last race, I’etlilo, the winner, got 12.6 miles per gallon. The race is becoming faster, however, and the limits will present some nice problems in carburettor adjustment—the mixture must be rich euo-ugh to get the speed and Jean enough to give the economy. Re-modelling Track. Incidcntlly, reconstruction work is under way with a view to remodelling the curves which have been the scenes of so many fatal accidents in the 24 years of the Indianapolis track’s existence. The bricks composing the track are being relaid to conform with the reconstruction of the four turns, and an entirely now type of plaining wall is being constructed. THE MOTOR CAR INDUSTRY SOME FACTS AND FIGURES. In 1919, 10.3 per cent of all cars pro duced in America were closed cars. This lignire increased to 34 per cent, in 1923, and has since continually increased. In 1927 the figure *as 84.9 per cent., 1930 90.4 per cent, and in J 934 98.8 per cent. In the United Btatcs of America 26 per cent, of all trucks in use are being used by farmers. During 1934 67.2 per cent, of all the trucks manufactured in America were in the Jl-21 ton class. The average life of a motor car in America is 8-1 years’ according to statistics provided by the Automobile Manufacturers Association. 2,000,000 vehicles were scrapped in the United >Stales in 1934. 615,351 trailers were in operation in the United »Slatos in 1934. According to the British Ministry of Transport’s annual report, on railway accidents in .1931, one person was either killed or injured per 150 public level crossings. . 1 ‘Braking concerns have spent more than £35,0'10 during the last few years in an effort to make motorists brakeconscious,” savs a director of one of the world’s most prominent brake-lin-ing concerns. * The Chief ConstaMo at Reigate, England, Air. W. H. Beadier, has formed an aircraft section of special constables. DETECTING OIL LEAKS Complaints of excessive consumption of engine oil are often linked with harsh criticism of manufacturers and mechanics, and the amateur overlooks the possibility that the trouble might be due to leakage, which is seldom perceptible when the car is stationary and the engine is not running. It is at moderate and fast revolutions that defects in the lubricating system come to light when the oil is circulating under high pressure. A loose valve-cover plate or pipe-union might permit a great deal of lubricant to be lost during a day’s run, and if it is noticed that the engine needs more oil to replenish the sump for a given mileage than was formerly the case, and there are no symptoms of cylinder wear, leakage should be suspected. Tq investigate that contingency sheets of newspaper should be spread on the garage floor underneath the engine, immediately after the car has made a journey long enough to warm the engine thoroughly. Then let the engine run for five minutes at a rate equivalent .to about 25 miles an hour. Any drops of oil which fall on the paper will provide a clue to the point from which the lubricant- rs