SAFETY FIRST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 249, 2 August 1937, Page 8

SAFETY FIRST.

BRAKING AND SPEEDING “While the speed of the modern' %, motor vehicle has been increased considerably, the effectiveness of braking is greatly improved, and is suitable if reasonable speed and road conditions are taken into account,” says the latest message of the Automobile Association, Canterbury, Incorporated. “It is obvious how important tho degree of speed is in relation to the degree of effective braking, but a feature which many motorists overlook is that the improvements made in tho design and finish on the brakes in the latest cars are so great and their stopping distance in feet is so short that anyone driving close behind has to be very alert to avoid an end-on contact in the event of the front car stopping suddenly. The safe drivers are those who know just how smartly their vehicles can be stopped, and the correct distance they should maintain from the vehicle in front. It is easily conceivable that the driver in front may have to apply his brakes suddenly for some traffic obstruction, and unless one’s eyes are focussed on the stop-light of the car in front one is likely to be caught unawares and make contact with the rear of the car in front. Ot tho car in front may have.no stop-light. “Rear-end bumps or crashes are invariably caused through driving too close to the car ahead or through inattention, or carelessness on the part of the following driver. “Those motorists who possess older types of cars or trucks do not always have brakes with the stopping ability of the brakes on the very latest cars, so that it is The duty of such drivers always to make due allowance for a 6udden stop when trailing a car of tho latest make. “Always allow a good working margin between your car and the one in front in the daytime or the night time. You are supposed to he able to pull up in half the distance of clear road ahead, and if you are trailing another car or truck by day or night, there Is certainly very little clear road ahead. Know your car’s limitations, allow plenty of room and always make allowance for any sudden whim or emergency stop on the (part of the driver ahead. “It should be pointed out that while ther is an obvious duty resting on tho drivers of following cars to take every precaution to avoid end-to-end colli-i sions, there is also a responsibility on every motorist to indicate by hand signal or in any other way his intention to stop in the track of following vehicles if an emergency calls for such’ a stopping. On the other hand, if a motorist wishes to stop for some cause not related to traffic conditions ahead, he should indicate his intention to stop and then pull in strictly to the lefthand side of the road for such stop. It is an extremely bad driving practise to halt one’s vehicle in the direct track of traffic if that step can be at all avoided. It is clear, therefore, that the utmost watchfulness is required of all traffic, particularly following traffic, and any motorist owes it as a courtesy to indicate as clearly as possible what his intentions are on the road.”