Accidental Starting of Automobiles.

Progress, Volume II, Issue 11, 2 September 1907, Page 401

Accidental Starting of Automobiles.

Accidents due to cranking the engine while the gears are in mesh are not unusual, but they seldom have such serious results as in a case which occurred on a ferry-boat at New York City last July As the boat entered the slip the driver cranked the motor, and the car immediately ran forward, breaking through the chain stretched across the central part of the boat in front, and through the lattice gates, and pushing several ferry passengers into the water. The driver claimed that the accident was due to the impulse given to the vehicle by the impact of the boat with the sides of the slip, but, though this might possibly start the vehicle, it is clearly evident that it could not give it such an impulse as would be required to cause it to break through the chain and gates. Moreover the car began to move just after having been cranked, thus clearly indicating that the motive power was derived from the engine. It is, of course, possible to provide the car with a device rendering it impossible to crank the motor while the gear is engaged, but whether such an arrangement is generally desirable is a question. It has probably no other fault than that of adding to the complication and weight of the car, but the majority of drivers, who are thoughful, would consider it an unnecessary adjunct. There is certainly more danger of personal injury from cranking with the spark advanced, and the automatic safety devices for preventing this have never come in to great favour, and are now used only on cars with large single cylinder engines. It is to be supposed that such operations as disengaging the gear upon stopping the car and retarding the spark before starting will eventually become "second nature" with automobile drivers, and the dangers referred to will be eliminated in this way. rather than by fitting a multiplicity of automatic safeguards. Special care should be exercised by the driver when taking his car on a ferry-boat. The emergency brakes should be set as soon as the car is in position and not released until the boat is fast to the bridge ; and it might even be best not to crank the motor until the boat has been secured in place and the gates are being opened.

The Royal turbine yacht Alexandra, launched at Clasgow on May 30th, was built under strict Admiralty conditions. She is of 2000 tons displacement, 300 feet long, and her turbine engines will drive her 17 knots. Her internal arrangements are designed alone to meet the uses of the King and the Royal Family, and not for large parties of guests.