SHE SAYS...

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31082, 10 June 1966, Page 9

SHE SAYS...

. . . mechanical trouble can strike the woman driver’s car just as easily as the car driven by a man, and one of these days you may find yourself driving at the wrong end of a tow-rope! There may not be a man around to take the wheel, so you should know what to do if you are ever unlucky enough to require a tow.

Always, but particularly if the tow-rope is a short one, you will need to be very alert. You are travelling much closer to the car in front than you would ever be in normal traffic—or than you ever should be—and if the car in front slows suddenly, you are going to have very little time indeed to take action.

When being towed down a hill you will have to do most of the braking for both cars; if the car in front tries to do the braking you will probably run into it. If the gear-

box is not fautly, the easiest means of slowing the car is by using the gears, for application of the brake, unless done very gently, can easily snap the rope. If your car has brake trouble, it may have to be “let down” the hill by being put in front of the tow car, which can then safely slow it down without being struck from behind. Corners can be difficult, because the car in front blocks most of your view, and you will get very little warning of an approaching turn. You cannot move too far to one side of the towing vehicle, or the rope between the two will be on too sharp an angle. Often a man will prefer to steer the faulty car himself, leaving the woman to drive the tow-car. If this happens to you, remember the increased “length of vehicle” behind you, and that you must avoid any but the most gentle braking and acceleration. Keep your speed down too—remember just how little reaction distance the driver behind you will have in an emergency. The most common cause of rope breaking when a vehicle is being towed is sharp braking. Often the sequence of events is this: the towing car slows suddenly, and the towed car, having no engine braking, rapidly “runs up” on it. The driver of the towed car then brakes firmly to avoid striking the car in front, and ends up travelling considerably slower than the tow-car. The rope tightens suddenly—and snap! If you do use your gears to slow down when being towed, remember not to switch on the ignition for some time afterwards. The engine, turning over with no ignition on, pumps fuel into the exhaust system and muffler. If the engine is started before this has evaporated, the fuel will ignite, and the resulting explosion will probably blow the muffler apart. You can obtain the same result by switching off the ignition when coming down a hill (leaving the car in gear) and turning it on again at the bottom.