Highways and Highway Transportation

by George R. Chatburn

The brakes being under the car are more or less difficult to get at, they form no part of the ornamental finish, and as a consequence usually are neglected until they become so very bad that they scarcely brake the car at all. They receive the mud and water from the roadway. The joints and pivots become rusted so that even with good bands they are only a quarter to a half efficient. It will pay better than life insurance to keep the brakes in first class condition.

Flexibility.

—While the brakes are most useful in the prevention of accidents, it frequently happens that a quick pick-up is also important. In crossing the street ahead of a car coming at right angles, for instance, there may be no time to stop, no chance to turn, the only thing that can be done is to “give her gas” and shoot ahead at full speed. A flexible engine with ability to change quickly from fast to slow and from slow to fast velocities will in the hands of an expert driver prevent many an accident.

Steering and Turning Ability.

—It has been mentioned several times that steering is a matter of importance in the prevention of accidents. Designing engineers should, therefore, take that into account. It was formerly thought that turning ability is a function of the length of wheel base, but there are other things to be taken into account and some late designs with reasonably long wheel bases are able to turn in half the radius that was required for some of the older designs with shorter wheel bases.

Lights.

—The lights whether on your car or another car are often serious sources of danger. If there is not enough illumination one is always liable to get off the roadway. If there is a large amount of illumination improperly controlled the glare is quite as dangerous to approaching vehicles. State regulations usually require two white lights ahead and one red light behind. The two-light regulation is wise. When one approaches a single lighted machine he can not tell which of the two lights is out, or whether or not it is a motorcycle. Many accidents have been caused on account of this fact by not giving sufficient clearance to pass the approaching vehicle. When meeting a one lighted machine the driver should always slow down and give as much clearance as the road will allow. Safety first. The red light behind of course saves many a rear end collision. As to whether it should be red or white is questionable.

Glaring lights became such a menace to safety that most of the states have enacted laws requiring all lenses used to comply with certain requirements, and providing that they be approved after tests by some competent authority. By doing away with plain lenses and properly corrugating the glass, lenses have now been produced which go far toward removing the glare. With proper lenses and reflectors the lights may be so regulated that the beam of light will illuminate the roadway almost completely across its width and from 200 to 300 feet ahead of the vehicle and at no place go higher than 56 inches above the ground. But even with the best lenses and best adjustments it is impossible to see beyond an extremely bright light so in passing such a light there is always the chance of running into an unlighted parked car, or other obstruction, or a ditch at the side of the road. In passing such a light the eyes should be kept on the road and shielded, if possible, from the glare of the other machine. The precaution of driving slowly under such circumstances goes without saying.

Unlighted Vehicles.

—Unlighted, horse-drawn vehicles, bicycles, and animals driven or walking in the street frequently give the automobile driver palpitation of the heart. Even if the law does not require it horse-drawn vehicles ought to bear lights or reflectors which would give a warning to the coming automobilist. Bright reflecting surfaces will flash back the rays of light from the automobile lamps and are much better than no lights at all. A California freighter who had many pack mules going along the automobile highway to and from the mountains continually kept such reflectors on both the head straps and cruppers of his animals with the result that very many less were struck by automobiles than before the reflectors were used. It is only by the reflections from lenses and bright parts of automobiles parked without lights, contrary to law, along the streets that saves them from being run into and smashed, to say nothing of personal injuries and the probable loss of lives.