OVER CONFIDENCE.
Wast Novice Learned First Long Drive.
SENSE OF CONTROL.
in
It is often said that the most dangerous fellow on the road In the man who, so soon as he is able. to manipulate the controls of his car, thinks that he is a full-blooded motorist. This statement suggeste the problem: How soon can the beginnår be said to have passed from the novitiate stage to true "road-worthiness"?
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH MOTORING SUPPLEMENT. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1932.
Bilrocovered some of the self- esteem "lost' by this misadventure. on the way to Basingstoke, whon, for the first timo in my short motorlug career. I passed the 50 m.p.h. mark and even touched 56. There is something truly thrilling about one's first burst of spood-
Lack of Judgment.
"A GOOD MANNERS CERTIFICATE.”
Sir Malcolm Campbell Makes a Suggestion.
CAMERA TO ASSIST MEMORY.
New Orleans, La., Nov, 26th- A photographie record of serious or controversial traffic accidenta, taken to provide an unfalling the means the International. As- rocord in case of court action, In
have the country uso. sociation for Identifention would, Oficials of this organization contend that it would make it dificult for acci hailed into court, dent witnesses to "forget" when
The Idén was brought up at the convention of the criminal identi, fication specialista here by An- drew J. Kavanaugh, chief of po
ice at Rochester, N. Y., who has worked it out with the Eastman Kodak Company.
Here is the way it works: When an accident takes placo, taken as quickly as possible to the police station. There an evidenco camera is set up.
'There seems to be growing-up the alertness of the driver of a the flashing countryside, the delici- among the newer race of drivers, following car.. ous uncertainty of one's control, an impression that the giving of When it is intended to turn right the wondering whether one cana sigual, absolves the giver from out of a traffle stream, always see brake safely. My ability to drive all the consequences of mistimed first that there is nothing intond Improved more in. those 20 miles action.
ning to overtake. Then give the of undulating downs than it I bave recently encountered signal in plenty of time, drawing could possibly have done in 20 many caos in whien drivers have out sufficiently to give room for hours of "pottering."
given signals and then proceeded overtaking vehicles to pass on your I rounded an inoffensive looking to act without the slightest regard loft. Then, if there is nothing corner. For the first time in my to conditions. It cannot be too coming in the opposite direction. driving experience I was called strongly emphasised that the you can make your turn in safety. upon to make a quick, surprise signal code exists merely to help Similarly, too many drivers The facts of this question mean gear-change. Hitherto I had towards safety and not to absolve when desiring to pass a station-
motorist from the con-ary such a great deal in the safey of always had time to anticipate the
obstruction simply signal the roade for more and more new action, had seen hills rising before sequences of his own carelessness. and pull out to pass, without tak motorists take to them each week me and been able to feel the pulse Too often lately I have soening the trouble to see if there be a faster car overtaking. I that I make no apology for this of the engine. Here, within a drivers indicate that they intend not account of a beginner's first holi- few yards of the bend, altitude to turn to the right and then agree that the faster vehicle would day with bia car, states a British changed with disconcerting swift-proceed to make the turn without be at fault for trying to pass in witnesses and participants are ness, and power diminished rapid-looking to see what traffic may be such clrcumstances, but two ly-far too rapidly-for my un- following. In one or two cases wrongs do not make a right. *. In ito tale of Indiscretions, nd-practised hand. The gears ground that have come under my notice A Course in Manners,
vantures, hazards and triumpha protestingly, a second attempt met accident has been averted only by I am all against compulsory lies an answer to the query just no better fate and, finally, I was
driving examinations before the By means of black strips for meatloned; and the writer is such forced to stop and restart, a feat me at a rigorous pitch of con-Issuo of a driving licence, for streets and miniature automobiles, an average sort of person that his which I had never before tried on centration. I soon realised that I reasons I have before set forth in fire hydrants, traffic lights and experiences must of necessity a hill. It was only accomplished was by no meanD ono of those these columns. But I am not sure telephone poles, the police officer. parallel those of the great majority with a good deal of apprehension "effortless" drivers of whom one that it might not be a good thing in charge will reproduce the scene of novices.
and back-slipping.
reads in novels. My handling of every applicant for a rat ne each witness remembers it I was
neither conspicuously apt nor outstandingly obtuse In learn- |
the car was continual conscious licence to drive had to produce a offort,
As the secne changes according and consequently very certificate that he or she had ing' to 'drive. For a few weeks 1 I found as I proceeded that in tiring.
undergone a course of instruction to each witness, photographs are "pottered" about country that gave any emergency which required al- The real confidence--the result in road manners; the proper usa and taken. Each car in the accident me ne adventure and demanded most instantaneous decision I was of difficulties overcome and lessona observance of signals, and all will be numbered so that the wit- little use of the gears. Thon, ac always late in translating thought learnt which filled me when I cognate matters relating to safety ness will know which car is whích. companied by two feminino pas-Into action. On Yarcombe Hill, started on the return journey at on the highways. I commend the Before the photograph is taken sengers, I set out from West Lon-for instance, I rounded a bend to eight in the morning was some-deu to the Ministry of Transport the witness will sign affidavits op- don for a week's holiday at Sennen find myself plumb behind one of thing far more serviceable than for consideration.
pearing in one corner of each dia- Cove, near Land's End,
those high-powered - CAYA the that I felt at the beginning of the I would include the whole High-| gram. This affidavit will appear Confidently I started off, full of drivers of which would attempt to holiday, although it might not way Code, but exclude mechanical in the photograph. the expectant exulation of the crawl up the side of a house on top have been na thrilling. I was not proficiency in driving, because man who for the first time acts out gear. The necessity, to change now so norvous of encountering there is no uxamination in driving produced in court they will guide When these photographs are to conquer counties. This feeling, down instantly, coming on top of heavy vehicles, and, so far as 1 but will separate the red-hog the need for rapid braking, was can rocnil, caused no heart-buran from the rest. There are many comparable to those attendant upon landing one's first job or altogether too much for me. Simi- to other drivers by erratic passing good drivers who would fall to pass out of sheer examination · funk, "popping the question," is one larly, I found that I did not and imperfect judgment of speed. which few motorists can have for possess judgment of epced and There was, however, one incident Over and above this, it would gotten, however seasoned they may allow me
width of the gap' necessary to that taught me a lesson I shall mean the creation of another army
to pass such a wide not forget. Just after leaving of officials and inspectore, with I had hardly been driving an chlele as a motor coach without Basingstoke the driver of a tendant expence and vexation. hour before I was brought rudely found myself
inward qualma. Su worse, I proceding car signalled me to pass
"Crawling" Danger upon occasions him on a shallow curve. I pulled and Ingloriously to earth. Some drawing level and then having to out to find myself rushing head-on the "red flag" days writes: "At A reader who has motored since way out of Camberley I became brake and resume the rear posi- towards unpleasantly aware that
car that had just the moment I am taking to heart the engine was pulling badly and tion because I was afraid that emerged in my direction from a your remark on the subject of
should cut-in on an approaching hidden side turning... Only violent crawling; for I am engaged in SAVE PUNCTURES. on quite slight rises. Inbouring
me from a bad running In "Plugs I asked myself. "Car car. Whenever I passed anything braking saved
my car níter buretter?" Thinking the worst, in these circumstances I was al-crash.
re-boring and fitting now pistons. The fact that after this incident In ways conscious of having taken a
there days of began to realise how pitifully risk, a feeling which, I imagine, I was able to complete the journey platons there must always be little I knew of the things "be-should never occur to a really good in a nice buret of speed proved to an appreciable number on the road neath the bonnet."
me. that I had practically con- suffering as I am; and I suggest Suddenly one of my passengers No sooner had I entered Devonquered "novice's nerves." I found you should remind your readers of cried, "We're smoking at the than I found myself driving with that I had driven just 316 miles in this fact, and thereby save us from back!" It was only too true. I had strained faculties. The hille and 10 hours at the wheel which, the many curses and exnorlutions been driving, since stopping in the surprising valleys, the undula-maintain, was not bad for a be- from others to hurry up, pointing Camberley traffic, with the handtions, the suddon, steep-hedged ginner-if, indeed, I was still a lout that to be crawling - brake partially engaged!
bonds and the swift rises all kopt'beginner-and this I doubt.
bc.
driver.
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DEAL DIRECT.
THORNYCROFT
SIX-CYLINDERED
COACHES & OMNIBUSES
MOTOR VEHICLES
Pioneer Manufacturers of Commercial Motor Vehicles
4
or 6 Wheels
4 or 6 Cylinders
30 Cwt. to 10 Ton Loads 20 to 70 Passengers JOHN I. THORNYCROFT & CO.,
LIMITED
Pioneer Building, Nathan Road, Kowloon. TEL. 58752.
Trust A THORNYCROFT WITH YOUR TRANSPORT
•
the witness in giving correct testimony, it is said.
The miniature cars and street features will be a great help to excited witnesses who get details at-hopelessly jumbled under ques- tioning, it is explained. The ple- tures will eliminate hundreds of words of description.
aluminium Penny Wise and Pound
Policy Won't Pay:
is not necessarily our fault.
"Any hints as to how to 'cause the least trouble to others during this process would also be useful." The remarks which seem to have called forth this letter were not directed at the driver who merely drives slowly. We have all right to choose the speed at which we shall drive, so long as we do not cause danger or inconverience to others.
"Step on It".
I have no criticism of the crawl- ing motorist simply because, from choice or necessity, he does crawl. It is when he adds the offence of obstruction to his crawling that he becomes a nuisance, I certainly do object to him when he sticks to the crown of the road and declines to let me pass because he is afraid to go down the camber a little. I am afraid there is very little in the way of advice that can be offered to motorists situated correspondent is. All that can bo done is to keep as close to the, left as one safely can, so as to give others plenty of room to pass
ES my
and get by as quickly as you can.
ECONOMY AND
露露
of
Photographic recorda traffic accidenta as seen by various witnesses are. urged as a means of presenting cor- rect court testimony. Above, Lieut. E. F. Burke of tho Rochester, N. Y., police de- partment la showing how a special camera for this pur- pose works. Below is a photo- graph showing an accident as seen by one witness.
Manufacturers provide a casing and tube to carry a definite load if Inflated to a stipulated air pres- solute control of the driver, and If sure. This pressure is under" ab-
CABILLAL
Packard
Buick
he fails in his part of the contract CONTAC [be has but himself to blame.
The outlay of a few shillings will Just before the war and that involve a saving of many pounds ton minutes testing each week may does not acera so very long ago over the season's motoring. any, motorist who' completed A weck-and tour. without repairing a
Care That Pays. puncture deemed himself parti- cularly fortunate. To-day, those of
Actually, each tyre when fitted us who have occasion to dig out the potential mileage, and every owner to the car hna before it a definito jack and change a wheel, due to should aim by rationally consider- tyre trouble, consider that fortune has dogged our footsteps,la working, to secure this figure.
ing the conditions under which it and that we have been singled out to explate sins of the past."
Next to correct air pressure, the most important factor in economy This revolutionary change is that of speed, and in this regard whereby the tyre has morged from It would pay motorists to remember the most vulnerable to the most that a given tyre will last two and reliable unit of automobile equipa half times as long when driven at ment, has been due almost entirely 25 miles an hour as it will at 50 to experimenta, both in the Inbora m.p.h. tory and on road and track, conduct-; ed in connection with world speed recorda.
Consequently, while the rational driver with modern tyre equipment Standard tyre equipment has, set, the road hog seldom sees more may justly expect 10,000 miles per during this period, steadily evolv-than half that distance through ed from the high pressure, narrow before meeting trouble. section type to the almost universal. une of the balloon tyre.
Again, those drivers who re- Coincident with the fitting
gularly practise "flash" starting by these larger section tyres-giving on low gear must pay dearly for of letting in the clutch at full throttle as they do, greater air capacity in relation to
their fun, load the average
equipment is not flat.
•
-If you have to pass a stationary motorist has shown an Inclination The driving wheels spin, and, duo vehicle ΟΣ Bome
other road to disregard pressures, and usual to friction against the roadway. obatruction, "atep on it" a little ly he carries on so long as the generate such terrific heat that the rubber tread momentarily becontes soft and plastic. The net result 18 That it la possible to operate that rubber equivalent to 100 miles under these conditions le certainly of normal running is worn away in ́ a feather in the cap of balloon type the first ten yards. tyres, but motorists should tako
Violent braking has a precisely
A minute or so at speed will do no harm to the engine. It is con- tinuous high speed that hurts during the running-in procesa.
Ban the Deaf?
A correspondent referring to heed, not only of the serious risk in-similar effect, and those ugly black certain remarks which fell from volved in this lackadaisical prae-akid marks on the highway-de- the chairman of a bench of magis-tice, but also in the fact that undue finite ovidence of locked wheels Itrates recently, in a case in which wear and tear is thereby incurred. ja deaf motorist was concerned, aska me whether I consider deafness a disqualification for driving.
cost motorists more than 6d. Actually, efficient tyre service de- yard! Denda almost wholly upon correct
Uneven Wear,
觇
Deafness by itself certainly in inflation. The automobile "rides" . In connexion with braking, driver qualification. A deaf on a column of compressed air, and motorists should note that uneven driver, provided his deafness is his the tyre and tube are simply A only disability, need not be any hicans of holding this air at prequently be traced to faulty brako more dangerous at the whol..of a determined pressures.
car than one who is in full possesion
of his hearing. The deaf person
may very well be a much safer pár-
wear In any pair of tyres can fro-
adjustment, causing one or other of the tyres to do the major portion of the work. Furthermore, that may be given would be to take wheels in normal uso act as radia- Possibly the most apt illustration while pressed steel, wire or dise
An Apt Illustration.
patentsita
AVBURN
HUDSON
DE BORD
LIDAD/
Ford
ESSEX USA
WE SERVICE AND REPAIR THE ABOVE AND ALL OTHER MAKES OF AMERI- CAN AND EUROPEAN CARS AND TRUCKS.
Phone 30228-Ask for Mr. Lauritsen.
D
THE DRAGON MOTOR
* CAR CO., LTD.
MIX GAS AND “ALKY”
It has been proposed in Turkey
son on the highway than a great many who are not so afflicted with tyre wall, bend it slightly to wren, they also act as con-alcohol made from surplus fg and a visiting card and, comparing it tors and help to dissipate heat that gasoline be mixed with
More Cautious-
If deafness affected the sight. to and fro. We may assume this ductors where brakes are binding potato crops in order to use up the the nerves, or reduced the general to be the tyre wall operating under on drums to the detriment of the over-production. alertness there might be some ex-correct inflation pressure, and
miles at very little extra cost.
cuse for the prejudice against the this moderate flexing process could quipment. deaf motorist, but that is not so go on Indefinitely without ill effect, So far, motorists have been told When the human animal suffera
Try now bending
why it pays to bestow a reasonable has been kept carefully inflated and serious diminuation or total loss of through a much greater are and tyre equipment, and the penaltica and frequently does, carry one or the card measure of care upon their original in which the walls are sound, may; one of the primary senses, nature gee what happens the board quick- arising from carelessness; but two retreads without trouble or comes to the rescue and provides a fractures: Knowing, then, that there is another aspect bearing up worry, so giving the careful supersensitiveness in the others the average automobile tyre flexes on economy certainly worthy of con- motorists thousands of additional which wholly or in part compensates: 700 times each mile, or 7,000,000 sideration. for the loss. I have known of people times every thousand miles, it is stone-deaf who minsed nothing of little wonder that careless drivers, down to the strip the advisability adopt the "penny wise polley of
After, a tyra thread haa, worn In purchasing retreads don' things happening, which he thing that really matters pay dearly for their folly.
of retreading demands attention, selecting the lowest-priced articles. sound of the other motorist's horn pressure, three most important
miss ie the warning. With particular regard to air and in this regard, the success or Only deal with reputabla firma or
otherwise of this plan dependa al those giving a definite guarantee. at road crossings. But knowing factors are involved. First, the most wholly upon the care and t “Smith's" kan received matty and appreciating his own disability, safety of passengers and driver: Retreading a casing that has claims on retreads, but in each ho will invariably exercise super comfort in riding and Insulation of habitually been run in a deflated are the motorist was solely to tention given to the original cases, complaints in connexion it wil caution at all places and in all situs- chassis and body from road shock; condition is at beat but a ramble blame for buying from sellers, wit tions he knows to be dangerous. and, third, economy,
one
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