When skidding does occur, about the only thing the driver can do is to turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skidding, with no pressure on the brake. This will correct the skid before damage is done, provided the speed is not too great. Another help in preventing skidding is to leave the clutch engaged and the engine pulling slightly when the brake is applied. Of course, before the car is actually brought to a standstill the clutch must be released, or the engine will stall. The slight pull of the engine when the brake is applied prevents the locking of the rear wheels, and in that way prevents skidding in a large measure.
On any stormy day a short tour of any of the much used avenues in any city will disclose a variety of machines which have had their skid and are against the curb with broken wheels, if nothing worse. It seems as though no amount of advice will teach the driver to use care on slippery pavements. He must have his own skid before he learns his lesson.
The season for skidding is always with us, however, and every patch of ice, or a frozen or wet street surface, or a muddy country road gives the warning “Drive Carefully.” It behooves the owner, therefore, to provide his car with the best safety devices to be had, whether it be chains, rope, tires with plugs which encircle the tread, or whatever may be necessary. He will do this if he has had his skid; if he hasn’t, probably no amount of advice will have the slightest effect upon him.
CHAPTER XV
AVOID NEWLY OILED ROADS
Tourists going out on week-end trips into the country, and country owners who go into strange sections, should pay strict attention to signs which say in effect: “Danger, Road Being Oiled.” It does not matter in the least whether you believe in signs or not, pay attention to all such; it may save an upset, or at least skidding into the ditch. An oily macadam road is more slippery even than a wet asphalt pavement.
The danger is greater from the fact that the road is crowned—that is, it rises in the center and slopes off on either side to a ditch. If you get off the crown on an oily road the machine is pretty sure to slide toward the ditch. In running over an oily road it is necessary to keep on the crown as much as possible and when one has to pass another vehicle, if he cares much for his safety, he had better slow down, or come to a stop, and let the other fellow worry about getting by. An ounce of caution before is worth several horse-power of energy in getting the car back after it goes in the ditch or tries to climb a telegraph pole.
Recently the author had occasion to visit Orange County, New York, and struck a piece of very heavily oiled road near Goshen. It apparently had been oiled the night before and the workmen had not finished putting on the binder. It was thick with oil. The road makers knew it was dangerous and put up a sign similar to that quoted above, but a big car ahead went down a little slope leading to the oil and the driver failed to heed the sign quickly enough, and when we caught up with him he was in the ditch. Coming up were half a dozen other cars sliding all around but trying to get to the ditched car to give assistance.
The big car had slowed down somewhat, else it would have gone over into the field, but it had turned completely around and was headed in the direction whence it had come. The other cars were sliding in every direction. When he found his car beginning to slide, the author very cautiously stopped, for his car was just moving. On inquiring of the driver of the skidded car, he was told that when the latter had found himself skidding around he had jammed on the brake, and, of course, just as might have been expected, the rear of the car went right around. In going up the slight rise of ground, the author met other cars and had to leave the crown of the road. Immediately the rear tires began to slide and he went for some distance with the rear pair of wheels trying to slide down into the ditch while the front pair were holding fairly well to the road. As soon as he could get back on the crown of the road again, of course the car straightened out all right.
Any car which struck the oiled road on high speed would have turned over or smashed against a telephone pole and probably everybody aboard would have been hurt, if not killed; so it is wise not to be so absorbed in entertaining one’s friends that warning signs are missed.