1932-06-25 — Page 11

MAN

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. ·

SATURDAY, MOTORING SUPPLEMENT.

END THIS ROAD CHAOS.

By Sir Malcolm Campbell.

ANY local motorists have a strange love of driving in procession. This running on the other man's tail-lamp, saya Sir Malcolm, is a perni- cious practice fraught with possibility of accident.

It is only when one drives at

night on one

their enormous fixed charges and

conta

of track maintenance,

lead rapidly towards complete paralysis of the whole transport system of the country.

A Bad Habit

I have been asked by a corres. pondent to say something about ong of the most common driving faults-I almost said offences-of the day. I mean the practice of driving "in the pocket" of another motoriat, or, so to speak, on his tall-Jamp.

The writer of the letter aska me to express an opinion on the habit for habit it is in the case of too many drivers. There can be only to one opinion; It is an altogether practico, and ono compete with the road transport pernicious companies using public highways fraught with possibility of acel- which, the railways contend, are dent." maintained and constructed out of

There are times when it is im possible to avoid closing up on the car in front-when one hap pens to be caught in a Sunday afternoon queue on the Brighton road, for instance--but the decent driver will always give the other fellow, no much room as he wants for himself.

of the main roads from London to the north or the Midlands that one begins to realise the tremendous magnitude of com- mercial road transport.

Last week I returned to London public funds while the railways Inte at night by the Holyhead road, build and maintain their own and I was astounded by the hun-tracks. dreds of commercial vehicles of all sorts, sizes, and degreea of horne power which thunder along that highway during the night.

I take no side in this matter, but road transport paya pretty heavily for the use of the public highways, A vehicle tnx which amounts in I have neen the same kind of many cases to more than £100 thing on the Great North Rond and year, plus 8d. on every gallon of on the Great West Road, but fuel used, plus rates and taxes on should any that If the night premises, is surely some sort of

head road is the busiest of them all.

be viewed.

by.

The "Circus Parade" Many motorists have a strange

THE WOMAN MOTORIST.

JUNE 25, 1932.

Some Simple Questions by B. L. Jacot.

"When wishing to turn out of a crowded highway..the ash should be shaken off the cigarette out of] the window."

A

Plus-4 Cottage.

You

should be used for the purpose of soundings?

8. R.: Taxicabs.

Q: And as to front and rear?

S. R. Pilar-boxen to the rear; lamp-posts or pedestrians in front, Statutory Reply:

Arot according to whether you have to clear the ground ahead of the car.mount the pavement or not.

Q.: How?

Q. Why 7 5. R.: By getting into first gear

S. R.: Because in this way it is by mistake.

Impossible to misjudge your dia Q.: Than?

tanco. The bump is a sure Indica- tion you have reached the limit.

Q. Should headlights bo dipp- S. R.: The approaching car should always dip its headlights in order that your own headlights may operate with undiminished efficiency,

Q. What

the accepted method of parking a car in a public parking place?

While the man is erecting rubber S. R. You take soundings by posts round my garage doors I hitting the posta to right and left, have been working at my Question-if necessary brushing aside any ed? naire for Women Motorists. You loose or unstable objects. Once in- have to admit it is only a matter side you go a foot or two through of time before my Bill in on tho the rear wall in order to be sure Statute Book. Let me explain how the doors will shut in front.

Q: What is the best way to this statesmanlike profect originat

cross a main rond when following ed.

It is now eight daya since I let a concealed lane? my spare garage to a neighbouring S. R. The best way is to gather Indy who had bought herself a car. speed vome distance before you ar- She drives this carrive at the cross-ronds and cut Eight days. herself-but about this backing in-across at full throttle.

to my garage.

iH

S. R. Select n apace between two cars which is not wide enough, and, using the cars for taking soundings, work in.

Q. When you have pushed a smaller car into the ditch what-

But why go on?

The man has finished the rubber He's starting on the torpe- do nets stretched across the gap in the masonry at the rear. Please don't think I'm trying to knock the woman motorist, The Jacot Act is meant to help. To rule out ir-

After all, a woman is entitled to know what is expected of her.

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Q. The principle being? S. B. The quicker you go the Not So Simple.

less time there is for anything to You'd think that backing a car hit you. into my spare garage meant just

Q: When driving on the crown in question were typical, the Boly-payment for the use of the ronda! love of driving in procession. It backing it into the garage? Na of the road with a procession of posts.

is no unusual thing to find a line turally. But you'd be wrong, cara behind you, what move should But we do not want to argue of 30 or 40 cars proceeding at a

What about the little matter of be made if by constant hooting it whether one form of transport is

reis indicated someone wishes to at a disadvantage compared with leisurely pace along a busy main getting into first instead of

verse? That removed the palings pass you? road, each car suiting ita pace to Problem We Must Solve.

S. R.: Nono, It is not that, however, which another in the matter of track and that of the leader of the line. on the far side of the road. And

The question Every succeeding driver seems to the door posts, each entitled to be Q: When wishing to turn out regularition. To standardise the have in mind at the moment, What general facilities. ever be the volume of traffic car that has to be decided is whether be afraid to pass his next ahead, hit at least once? The rain-water of a crowded highway, what alg-driving of women.

butt has to be jabbed with the near nal, if any, should be given? ried by any particular roul dous Foad transport is complementary

front wing while you're looking S. R.: If thought of in time, not matter, but what does concern to the railways. It was imposstule the line closes up, and a faster ear

And finally the cigaretto holder should be re- everybody in the question of what to create a system out of the rail coming up on the tail of the pro-

the back wall charged so that after moved from the Hpa and the ash is ultimately to be done about hand stage-coach rivals of a hun-cession has no chance of getting over your shoulder.

It la in these "circus parades" the fourth charge you go right shaken off the cigarette out of the tremendous problems which are dred years ago, but lo-day we have all the elements for co-ordination

window. raised by this developing rond

and systematisation of the whole that one sees driving on the tail through.

Garages can be rebuilt and there Q. To what purpose? traffic.

S. R.: The act can be taken to Not many weeks ago 1 said that land transport of the country. It the other ear brought almost to

so that if you we are a long way from what is is from this angle, and from this a fine art, I sometimes think that are plenty more cars to be bought.

years ago some people would notllament lies in the recrimination: change your mind It doesn't mat- called traffic saturation. I am still angle alone, that the future must if we had the dusty roads of 20 The germ of my new Act of Par-nen anything,

be so keen on. "tailing" as they "Well I did exactly what you told ter. of Transport is not the affair

to do!" In case you don't this interest or that.

It is a no-seem to be!

(Note: And five extra marks in Safe Night Driving

know it, that is the phrase to use tional concern. I am not playing

I have received a letter from a when you've backed your car half-the percentage for this reply.)

Q. To what use should white with any idea of the nationalisa tion of transport services. That member of the Civil Service Mo-way through my garage wall. It exisliog ronds are unable to carry is the last thing I want to see. toring Association, taking me to shows the mind is alert, the facul-lines on sharp bends be put?

S. R. White lines are of great the traffic we shall have formulat-There is a great deal of difference task for the wording used when ties still feminine and unshaken.

тубу night

Don't think I am trying to knock help to the woman motorist in ed a considered policy of road con between thinking nationally of the giving advice recently

the woman driver. I agree that maintaining her correct driving struction which will automatically future of these services and na- driving. koop pace with traffic require-tionalisation by State ownership.

"Unless the British woman driver is the position in the centre of the rond. The future lies with a wide and the rond la farmiliar you do not esqual of any driver in the country With the white line bisecting the see if we exclude the men and percar you can be sure you are driv- That may seem to be looking comprehensive scheme of co-or-drive faster than you can

ing on the crown.

Q.: On which side should you rather far ahead, but transport i dination and co-operation between My correspondent says that this forming sent.

Under my new Act, to be known the life-blood of the community, road and railway interests, en can mean only that if you are faml- and it must be given the arteries forced. If you like, hy legislative liar with the road you can drive as the Jacot Act (you've heard of the Volstend Act?-that is nothing along which to flow. That should

the faster than you can see. authority and controlled in whose bo impressed upon those

I am sorry if any remarks of compared to this), all women ap. tanin essentials by the Ministry of duty it is to look ahead and to pro-Transport or some other analagous mine can be interpreted to mean plying for licences to drive motor-

department of State, but leaving that at any time and in any circars must appear in person to an- of road signs, such as "Dangerous

swer my questionnaire. finaner, management, and detail.cumstances it is permissible

The replies under the various We hear much of the rivalry be- to private enterprise as at present. drive dangerously, but if the tween rond and rail transport. But however salvation is to be writer of the letter will read the headings will be graded against The railway Interesta complainnehlered, we cannot allow the pre- article again and take the wording the ideal atatutory replies, and

to with its context, I that it is impossible for them, with sent chaos to continue. That must referred

of the same mlad, and am not con- cerned therefore with any question of overcrowding of the roads by this growing commercial transport. Before we get to the stage at which

ments,

vide for the future.

l'artners, Not Rivals

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9. R.: On whichever sido there overtake a car ahead of you?

seems more room.

Notices for Others.

Q. What notice is to be taken Crossing"?

S. R. None.

Q. Then why do the authorit-i

Q.:

no woman will get a licence ties take the trouble to orect them? S. R. For other people to net drive unless she gets 80 per cent. marked up by the inspector. The by them. effect will be to preserve our women matorists, to maintain tone, to keep up the standard, to-but judge for yourself.

Bump Right and Left. Question: What is the way to back into a garage?

What is the procedure i when a policeman on point duty holds up your car?

S. R.; You keep your Anger on the horn button in case he forgeta all about you.

best

ed

think he will acquit me of giving any such advice,

When driving at night the dis tance once CRN see is limited by the range of the headlights. That range may be, where the lights are good, anything in the re- gion of two hundred yards on a straight road, though in most cases 160 yards la probably the limit of

vision.

How Far Can You See? Now, at 30 miles. an hour the average good car with properly adjusted brakes can be brought to a atandstill in about 40ft. At 40 miles an hour the average is about 80ft., and at 60 miles an hour about 20ft. Suppose wo add a third to these distances to be on the safe side, then we see that the average stopping distances at these speeds are: At 30 miles an hour something under 20 yards; at 40 miles an hour less than 40 yards; and at 60, about 90 yards.

All these speeds thereforo aro prima facie safe driving spreds for a woll-found ear, given that the lights are good and the road straight and clear of trame, But ronds are not always straight, nor are they always clear of traffic. Therefore the careful driver will not proceed at a speed which in my previous articles I called "driv- in faster than you can see," more especially if the road is not pur- fectly familiar.

There is an essential differenco between safe speeds on known and on unknown roads. On one with which you are perfectly famillar you know the radius of every curva, the situation of every cross-rond, of every opening from which traffic may be expected to emerge, and exactly what conditions are be resonably anticipated,

Knowing Without Seeing Take the average easy curvo, which on a road you know can be taken quite fast. You cannot sce round it, but you know it la safo because there in plenty of room to clear any unexpected pedestrian or animal you may encounter. You know there is no other car ap- proaching or you would have seen ita lights, so you take it reasonably fast.

But if the road is unknown, all you can see is that you are ap- proaching a curve which may bo anything at all. It may be easy, but you don't know because you cannot see, and so you reduce your speed to that which is "no faster than you can seo."

Q. When reversing in a crowd- thoroughfare, what objects

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