Auto Gossip

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30958, 14 January 1966, Page 7

Auto Gossip

by

A.J.P.

Surprising I am most suprised to see persons suggesting—l presume seriously—that governors should be fitted to cars to make it impossible to exceed a certain speed. Let nobody delude himself: without doubt such a move would result in many accidents. Examine Results Such governors are extremely dangerous because they not only restrict the topgear speed available for emergencies, but also restrict speed in other gears. Some have suggested that 60 m.p.h. be the governed speed: let us look at some of the results. In my car this would restrict engine speed to less than 3000 r.p.rn. This would mean a maximum speed of 15 m.p.h. in first, about 24 ni.p.h. in second, and about 40 m.p.h. in third. Overtaking would become most hazardous with no extra acceleration available for emergencies: openroad passing would have to be done in the leastaccelerative gear: top. More Drawbacks Nor would the disadvantages end there. Climbing hills would be slow and difficult. On moderate hills the car would be restricted to a maximum of 40 m.p.h.; on steeper hills the maximum would be less than 25 m.p.h. The effects on traffic flow are obvious. Most drivers have had to accelerate at an intersection to get out of trouble —but what chance would you have if your engine cut out at 15 m.p.h.? It is no use saying “change gear”—gear

.changes take time. Some car | owners would be far worse ■ off than 1. A Citroen, for in- ; stance, has a very high top gear, and if governed to 60 m.p.h. would be restricted to ■little more than 2500 r.p.rn. (in other gears. One Lesson The suggestion has countless dangers and absolutely no advantages. Even if cars were governed to 45 m.p.h. this would do nothing to reduce accidents in the cities. —it would cause more because of the lack of acceleration—and there are hundreds of places on the open road where even 40 m.p.h. can bring disaster, particularly to the unskilled driver. At least the suggestion holds one lesson: before you hold forth on road safety, make sure you know what you are talking about. Scapegoats Too many cannot think of road safety beyond those two dirty words, “speed” and “power.” As long as persons try to blame everything on these scapegoats true safety is far, far away. Too often I have heard really bad drivers say, “Oh, but I am a safe driver. I never exceed 45 m.p.h.” Many of these drivers, and some cars, are more dangerous at their 40 m.p.h. than other cars and

drivers travelling at nearly twice that speed. Let us stop fooling ourselves. It is not the "mad speedsters” who cause all these accidents, it’s ordinary drivers, who do not pay attention to what they are doing, do not watch their rear vision mirrors, do not j look right, drink before drivi ing. drive when they are [tired, fail to signal, drive on ; bald tyres, fail to show courtesy to others. . . . But . . . [ But there are also those. I who travel too fast for the [conditions: rain, heavy traffic. poor visibility. Slow down when it rains. Slow down at night. And slow down again when you have to dip your lights. Quote of the Week “The effects of road accidents are far-reaching. Not only for the resultant tragedy and suffering, but also the substantial economic loss to the country, a loss that has been conservatively estimated at between £l5 and £l6 million annually.”—From an editorial in “Road Safety.” the journal of the New Zealand Road Safety Council.