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BRAKING SIGNALS
Fitting an Advance Action Device
It
I was recently afforded a good illustration of the inherent weak- ness of the red-light braking signal as a fety device-a de- vice, by the way, we all hailed on Its appearance as contributing appreciably to read safety, writes the motoring correspondent of the Manchester Guardian,” was a busy road with a long line of cars bowling along the straight stretch where I was standing. When the first car was almost upon the road-cross ahead I saw the red warning light wink up. A fraction of a second later the second car's warning light flash- ed out. Then, quickly but after a more perceptible interval, the third car's light. The fourth came on a trifle slower. I saw what was sure to happen. It did happen, The last car but one just touched the car in front and was, in turn bumped by the last car of,, all. It is riot an uncommon incident. It happens because we are apt to drive rather too close together; In a sense we are obliged to do so because if we leave a gap be- tween ourselves and the one in front, someone invariably alldes down, the line at speed and silps into the gap, so closing up the ranks again. But it happens also because the road and "driving conditions of to-day have ad- vanced beyond the warning light's range of usefulness,
What happened here, and what happens in alt similar cases, is that, though each driver sees the warning light flash up in front of him, there is a time-lag as the signal, and the, resultant, brak- ing by each driver, passes down a line of cats. The distance be- tween the succeeding cars there- fore diminishes as the signal is picked up and responded to, with the too frequent result that the cars in the rear are not left "with room enough in which to stop without bumping. It is a point worth analysing, and the results may be stated thus: When a driver applies his brake, and the warning signal comes into opera- tion, he announces to following traffic an accomplished fact. He has braked, picks up and res- ponds to the warning the pro- cess of retardation of the first car has begun, and has increased in its effects, before the second. car has begun to slow down. Carry that process down a line of cars, and it will be seen that between the cars the distance diminishes, and with increasing rapidity, until towards the end of the line the margin of time and space is small. The growing dif Aculty, from one end to the other, may be expressed thus: "I have braked." Have braked."""Ve Braked." "Braked." 'Raked."
**BUMP." "Bump."
It is all against good driving tradition thus to announce brak-" ing as merely an accomplished fact, and against all that the authorities are endeavouring to get us to do. For example, we are told-it is in all the leaflets of advice issued to motorist-that it is wrong practice to give a signal of turning at the precise moment of turning; that ade- quate warning of one's intention to do something that will affect those following should be given. It is sound advice, and real com- mon sense, yet it is apparently enough to say with the braking system commonly in use to-day, "I have
braked, You look to yourself." It is absurd and it is dangerous.
ar-
Steering Wheel Switch,
The remedy is to convert that announcement of something done' into an intimation of something. about to be done. The operation of the process of braking should be so arranged that the warning light flashes for an appreciable period before the brake stioes be- gin to bind on the drum One action would follow quickly on the other, but there would be a gain, to following drivers, of a few yards of space, and they would be precious yards. An effective way of bringing about such, an rangement would be to it a switch on the steering wheel, so that one's thumb could drop on to it instantly, and to connect up this switch to the warning light. Immediately a driver saw that trame conditions were about to call for braking, he would touch the switch" and follow that ac- tion up by bringing the brakes hinto “ection. The man behind
would thus have warning before" the car had actually begun to Zaow down, and he would have room in which to act. Moreover, he would leave room for those behind him. The last in a line of cars would not find themselves Glifaced with an emergency and no
space to deal with it.
In towns where traffic clutters up so much, this fraction of, a second of Wärring would save much trouble. But the system could have wider application. On the open road, where high speeds -common, any driver wishing
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1934.
MOTOR
MORE MOTOR COASTERS
to slow up, as when prospecting Value of Heavy Oil
for a suitable plenic place, would' flash on thế rear light, then begin to decelerate and draw in to his left. A mari in a following car would thus be told that the one in front was about to stop and would be able safely to swing out. There would be fewer of those violent and sudden swerves to avold a car suddenly stopping. that occur so often to-day.
Such a system increases the factor of safety for road traffic. It is a simple system; a motorist
Duty Exemption
The position of British coast- wise shipping in regard to the defensive measures recently re- commended by the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom is referred to in the 13th annual report of the British Motor and Salling Ship Owners' Association. Ltd, to be submitted at the ann-
of any handiness could rig up theual meeting held in London. details for himself. It is desir- able, and once a few motorists had adopted it, makers would be found' adding it to the equipment of a car. We might then be able to discard those bumpers, which are not only ugly but always suggest that we are accepting. instead of remedying, a certain carelessness in driving.
INSURANCE FOR
MOTORISTS
An Essential Safe
guard
The fact that damages to the amount of £12.000 were recently obtained from a motorist "by a doctor who had lost the use of his hand suggests how important a matter insurance against such risks must always be
Nowadays we are obliged to in- sure, but the choice of insurance company is left to ourselves, and If we do not fill in the proposal form correctly we may And that our protection is of doubtful value.
The average car owner" passes- ses BOLLething to lose, and if for any reason his insurance com- pany will not, or' cannot, meet a successful cialm made against him, then he may quite well be ruined. Motorists have actually been ruined financially before this by damages secured against them under circumstances not covered under the terms of insurance.
Insurance companies are often generous under these conditions, but a contract is a contract, and both parties should be equally aware of its terms.
Motorists need to regard a pro- posal form seriously for, it is the basis of the contract, and if fücts are withheld or raisrepresented then the insurance company can- "not be blamed they repudiate,
the contract.
The analysis of tonnage enter- ed into the Association showed. that in February, 1920, only 7.5 per cent. of the tonnage was en- gined in some way, while 13 years later the proportion had risen to 30.1 per cent. The fact that 70 cent. of the tonnage still consists of sailing ships without any me. chanical aid is a. proot that sa- lers, because of their economical character, continue to be regard-` ed as eminetly suitable for certain WORK.
The report records that during the year there has continued to be a little more employment for #small
Fre!ghts coastal ships. weakened in the spring, but are now showing an upward tendency. Exemption from the heavy oils duty imposed by the last Budget "has relieved coastwise shipping
of “a, threatened burden of £100,-. 000 a year.
On the other hand, the car owner needs to assure himself that the company is of good re- pute and sound Anancial stand- ing, for if the company cannot meet a claim the insured is still liable. There have been insuran- ce companies which could not meet their obligations, and motor insurance has attracted a number of concerns whose resources might not be sufficient to deal with a » run of luck. Cut premiums may be attractive) but it takes even the well-known non-tarif companies' very careful manage- ment to secure a return on motor business, so that, tariff or non- tarr, only well-known companies should be dealt with, and if there is any doubt as to the best form of policy or the extent of cover required then there are insurance brokers whose business it is to know all these things.
But obviously, insurance against road risks is a very serious matter deserving of the most careful con- sideration."
HÀNG CHOW TO NAM. CHANG BY MOTOR
#
A highway has beeh bullt be- tween Nanchang and Yushan (on, the Kiangsi-Cheklang border) and, when four or five bridgea along this highway are complet- ed. it will be possible to travṣi between these two places la eight." hours by motor car. There is now 'a motor road from Hang- chow to the Cheklang-Klangs! border, so when this is linked up with the Nanchang-Yu-shan highway, a trip can be made
al by motor car from the Chekiang provincial cap-
A bus service already has been Inaugurated between Nanchang and Yushan, the buses being fer- ried across a river where the building of a bridge' has not yet been completed. The recent opening of the Hangchow-Xiang- shah Railway will greatly tactit ate the travel between Cheklang and Klangal, the railway actually ending at Yushan in Kiangst, al- though it is known as the Hang- chow-Klangshani. Line.
The Association maintains close contact with the Chamber of Shipping regaiding the policy of the shipping industry. The report reviews the steps that have been taken to ensure the con- sideration of coastal interests in the recommendations now being submitted to the Government.
SUPPLEMENT
BORN 1894 Still Running
Entries for the annual
run
from
of
AVIATION NEWS FLUID FLYWHEEL London
MOTOR-CYCLE
Future of the Aero
Engine
Smaller and more officiant 'en- gines, extension of the use of su- percharging devices, adoption of sleeve values, employment of com- pression ignition (heavy oll) units inrge aircraft, growth in fav our of variable pitch airscrews are among expectations of: air- cooled aero engine progress, in the next ten or fifteen years which
the were placed before
Royal Aeronautical Society last week by Mr. A. H. R. Fedden, the able chief of the Bristol, Aeroplane Company's engine department,
He stated. In the course of his long and informed address, that engines he hoped to see aero turning out between 40 and 50 horsepower for everytre of cy- indrical capacity, as compared with the present 22-26 h.p. In other words, the same amount of power will be produced from a considerably smaller unft Super- chargers, which at present are employed to restore ground level powers up to heights of approxim~ ately 15,000 feet, may raise this level to 20,000 fest.
• Increased provision will be needed for the cooling of alcool- ed engines, Mr. Fedden considers that the introduction of greater cutput and considerably higher rotational speeds in the engine Itself will entail an increase from the present 11 to 12 square inches of cooling surface for every cu bic inch at cylindrical capacity up to 15 to 20 square inches. He pointed out that aircooled engines may be cooled in future by an engine-driven fan. with the motor permanently enclosed in a sul- table duct. Research work on this subject is now going forward at the Royal Aircraft Establish- ment
RANDOM NOTES
The First Royal Car
The first Royal car In the world, the Daimler which was. supplied to King Edward in 1899, was one of the most Interesting exhibits at the Scottish Motor Show in Gisagow in November.
The car has a 6 h.p. engine and is capable of speeds up to 20 miles an hour. It is in perfect me- chanical condition to-day and still bears the Royal Coat of
Arms.
*
A Fine Win"
The success of Triumph cars Overseas is well characterised by recent news from New South, Wales, where this make has for the third year out of the last four won the premier motoring award; in that State. the Wakefield
Trophy.
The trophy is offered annually for the best performance, of a team of light cars in ten different contests. It was secured by Triumphs In 1930 with 7 firsts, 9 seconds and 3 thirds, out of 10 events. In 1831 they last the trophy by two points only, but re- gained it in 1932. This year's. success was achieved with 10 hp.
cars.
London's Ambulances"
The standardisation of a speel- fic make of vehicle by public au- thorities has a great deal to re- commend it; for it means among cther things great simplification in the matter of upkeep and ser- vicing arrangements. In itself it.
most it obviously
convincing testimony to the make of vehicle selected,
It is interesting, therefore, to note that the London County Council, the largest controlling bo- dy of ambulance services in the world, has chosen no less than 200 Talbot 'vehicles for its require- ments.
Soaring Sales
With the 1934 season barely under way, oversens orders for the various products exported by Morris Industries Exports, Ltd., already represent, very consider able increase of the correspond- ing figures for 1st season.
For the art two months of the current sénion, namely Septem- ber and October, the average in- rease In Export orders for Morris, Wolseley and CF CRIS, and Morris Commercial vehicles was no less than 118 per cent. In the cess of the same monetis of 1992.
More Records for Eyston Driving a 12 hp, six-cylinder Riley, MI. G. E.T. Eyston recently broke three long distance fecords at Montinery. These were as fol- lows:
3 hours 112.42 m.p.h. 500 kilometres 112.36 m.p.h. 500 mlies 110.53 m.p.h.... The final record was completed in a snowstorm.
More Motor Cruising
Next season will see a substan. tial increase in the number of new motor yachts and cruisers in commission, if the activity now in progress in certain yards is any criterion... At Thornycrofts' Hampton-on-Thames Yard, for example, there are 40 and 42 it. twin-crew cruisers, 20 ft. plea- surt fishing boat for the Cornish. coast, an 18 ft. launch for both river and sea service and a 30 it. river launch being built.
Three yachts destined for the Mediterranean are under con- struction by the same builders. The largest is a 200 ton steel ves- sel to be fitted with Diesel mi- chinery of 350 b.h.p.
Another interesting order is a 30 ft. speed boat of the "Seahawk" type for inspection service in the Dutch East Indies. Engined with craft attains a 2 140 b.h.p. 6-cylinder unit, this m.p..
speed of 35
Production
As indicating the growth of the Industry, the figures of produc- tion of British." Motor Vehicles make Interesting reading. In 1907 only 12,000 vehicles were produced in Great Britain. In 1923 the total was 95,000; in 1930 it had risen to 236,528, and last year it had dropped alightly back. the total being32,119. It is anticipated that 1933 Private Car production will show a substantial increase over-1932 even if it should be found that restrictive legisla- ture may have affected the pro duction of Commercial Vehicles,
Batteries for Tibet
Until 1904 no foreigner had ever set foot in Lhasa, the "Forbidden City" and capital of Tibet, and the news that the Chloride Elec- trical Storage' Co., Ltd., has re- ceived in order for an Exide bat- tery of 220 cells, type SEG/8, for the Palace of the Dalai Lama, Ruler of Tibet, is a tribute to the Prestige of British goods and par- Ectilarly to the trip the Exide people have on the export market,
Getting the battery there was to easy task. since the only meads of transport is by mule, yak or bootle, and the 300-mile journey, ander these primitive conditions involved spelet préchutions in the packing of the ikka boxes; more- over, the passés: lato Tibet re asually closed by snow from about the end of November, so that the shpinents had to reach Calcutta not fater than the first week in November
B.S.A. Company's
Secret
A machine which may well re- volutionize motor-cycling is an- nounced by the BS.A. Company, the world's largest manufacturers of motor-cycles. Briefly, it is a
5 h.p. overhead valve, model in- corporating the Daimler fluid fly- wheel and preselective self-chang- ing gearbox.
new
Research has been going on for over two years, but although rom- outs have been carrent, the news of the actual production of the machine contes as a aur- prise in motor-cycling circles. The experimental model has com- pleted tests of nearly 20,000 miles on the road, but in order that the secret might be kept the machine has never once been allowed to stop outside the B.S.A works.
In general detalls the fuld dy- wheel machine follows the lines of the well-known 499 c.c. over- head valve "model. The engine and gearbox, however, are of unit construction and are so mounted in the frame that the centre of gravity is very low. This, combin- ed with the fact that the trans- mission
eliminates all engine anatch makes the machine al- most skid-proof. Gear pre-selec- tions are made by movement of.. a small trigger on the left handle bar, engagement being provided by pressure on a pedal "operated by the right toe. The action of the fransmission is exactly the same as on any car produced by the B.S.A.-Daimler-Lanchester group, and the machine has a top gear range of speed from 0 to 65-70 miles an hour.
Unlike amny motor-cycles of unusual mechanical specification, the new B.3.A. has an attractive and a well-balanced appearance. The primary chain runs in an oil bath case, and is provided with a spring tensioner, the final drive being on the offside of the mach- Ine. Lubrication, is on the dry- sump system. with a separate oll tank mounted under the saddle. The machine is dnished in the B.S.A colours, the tank being chromium plated, with green side panels. The price, including full electrical equipment, has been Axed at £79.
(OZ- com-
** veteran "
cars to "Brighton ganised by the R.A.C. to memorate the passing of the 1806 Act that abolished the speed limit of 2 m.p.h. and the man with a red flag as a"necessary accom- paniment of a "road locomotive") reached a total of 77,-which was by far the largest number ever entered.
No car may take part unless it was made in 1901 or earlier, and the oldest one among the entries was built in 1894; it is a Cannstatt Daimler. the forerunner of the modern, Mercedes. Although this veteran was in use before 1 start- ed my motoring career, writes a motor correspondent, 'I Well re- member the type in picture and print, for in those days, most of my pocket-money went in buying, or sending pre-paid envelopes for, any kind of literature that had concern with motors.
The car on which I had my first run-I can well remember that thrilling experience-was not greatly diferent from the Cann- statt Daimler, and was made only two or three yeaf later; it had tiller ("bathchair type") steering, hot-tube ignition, four speeds for- ward and four reverse, solid tyres. & wheelbase no longer than the overall height of the car (1), chain drive, and a two-cylinder
.:
"
BRITISH CARS IN CANADA
Austin's Trans- continental Record
The Austin Seven has created. a new record for the crossing of Canada, by car, covering the jour- ney from Halifax to Vancouver In the amazing time of five days, five hours and forty minutes. This achievement is rendered all the more remarkable by the fact that the driver-Mr. Tom Roberts. who is a well-known Candian aviator-was unaccompanied.
The total distance covered was almos 4.250 miles, of which two- third's was over atrocious roads,
ye: the Seven managed to main tain an average speed of 34 m.p.h. and used only 86 gallons of fuel and 3 quarts of oil for the entire trip.
The petrol consumption. thus worked out at over 48 m.p.g..
this also being a record in point of economy, as the whole journey was made at a cost of under 25 dollars.
engine in front under a bonnet about half the length of that of a Baby Austin. Radiator there was none, but, instead, a water tank underneath the rear end of. the car, with water circulation by & pump driven by friction of the flywheel.
HEAVIER TRAFFIC
LARGER
THIRD PARTY CLAIMS!
WILL YOUR POCKET SUFFER?
A.A.U
AA
ASIA LIFE BLDG. 14, QUEEN'S RD. C.
MOTOR CAR INSURANCE
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THORNYCROFT
SIX-CYLINDERED
COACHES & OMNIBUSES
MOTOR VEHICLES
DIESEL OR PETROL
Pioneer Manufacturers of Commercial Motor Vehicles
Full Range of Spares carried in Hong Kong and Shanghal
4 or 6 Wheels
4 or 6 Cylinders
30 Cwt to 10 Ton Loads
20 to 70 Passengers
JOHN L THORNYCROFT & CO., LIMITED,
Pioneer Building, Nathan Road Kowloon.
TEL. 56752.
TRUST A THORNYCROFT WITH YOUR TRANSPORT