MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 257, 25 July 1919, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

4 . (By "Clutch.")

Renistration of Cars, Of tho many automobile matters which rcci'uiro to be placed on a permanent and workable basis, perhaps that of registrar tioii is one of Ilia most pressing,'. At present there is no coherency in the various systems' in force in the Dominion, and things have got more or less into a. muddle, with the result (hat it is almost impossible to tell how many cars are on the roads, or to interpret registration numbers with ifny degree of facility. In order to try to clear up the question tho New Zealand Automobile Union has prepared, a set of recommendations which it will lay,before tho Minister. One of tho recommendations provides for the keeping of a. register to enable an adcmiato check to bo made of all cars, so that those that'may tic" irregularly borrowed for the purpose of "joy riding" or any that are stolen, may be easily traced. At tho present time anything in tbe nature of a complete check is wholly impossible by reason of the diversity of (he system of registration in force. Liqhting Tests. Very- shortly the New Zealand Automobile Union will carry out a series of practical headlight tests on the Hutt Road. All persons interested in motorcar lenses, anti-glare devices, and dimmers are invited to take part, and if tlifrv -will communicate with the secretary of the union, Mr. W. BeauchnfiipPlntts. Featherstoii Street, Wellington, in about a week or ten days' time, the latter will be able to fix a suitable date for tho conduct of the tests. This mattei of devising means to counteract "glare" is a most urgent one, and rocently formed tho subject of an interesting report by Professor Clark, of Victoria University College. As a result of the tests to be held in tho near future it is hoped that some means will bo found of overcoming the trouble of overbrilliant headlights. A Safety Campaign. In view of the fact that motor traffic ie rapidly increasing in the Dominion, tho need for educating children against the danger of the streets becomes more pressing. The matter lias not been lost sfelit of by tho New Zealand Automo'bilo Union, which is trying to evolve some means of illustrating to pedestrians'generally how beet to avoid accidents in the highways alid byways of the country. It has been suggested that school masters should give lectures to the children under their control, warning them of the necessity of exercising the greatest care and watchfulness when about to cross the streets. Although this proposal has much to commend it, there is just the chance that if the lectures partake of tho character of 'lessons thej-- will not receive that, close attention which is desirable if any good is to result from such a "safety first campaign." It is absolutely necessary that thejnterest of the children in the subject should be aroused and sustained, nnd for this reason the lectures should be bright as well as instructive. Were there difficulties about tho teachers handling the subject, perhaps tho Education Department' might see its way to grant facilities for tho lectures to be given by officials of. Clio various motor chilis and associations in each big centre. The mere fact of somcono other than a teacher ■ speaking .to the children would be sure to claim their interest, the 'more eo if the pupils could be massed in the school playgrounds to witness practical demonstrations of the right nnd tho wrong way to cross over a thoroughfare and avoid paßsing tratJic. Perhaps the kinenmtogrnph might also bo employed as the medium of a "safety first" crusade. Indeed, instead of looking at sorao of the trashy pictures screened so frequently nowadays, the people would bo better occupied in seeing films describing the risks of haphazard pedestrianism in crowded and busy, streets. In the State of New York, Secretary of State I'rancis M.. Hugo is 'devoting considerable attention to the subject of street dangers generally, and he is once moro issuing a message of warning to the school children, a message fully as applicable, however, to -grown-ups, in a. campaign of Stop, Look, and Listen, -as-a means • of bringing about fewer.- accidents in which motorists and pedestrians figure, liecognising that both the motorist and tho pedestrian must Iμ more careful if there aro to be fewer accidents, Secretary Hugo asks the driver as well as the man who walks to 'bear in mind that the best safety .device of them all is the careful driver, that "chance travels on crutches, and in the-so days of ever-mounting coste safety requires but tho expenditure of a thought. "A careful habit," says Mr. Hugo, "is the best bodyguard that one can have, and when tho children nre learning their A B C's they should be impressed that these three letters stand for 'Always Be Careful!' Crosswalks are made to bo used, and there is no question but hundreds of accidents couM be avoided if pedestrians would use them, first glancing up nnd down the street instead of crossing in a hit or miss manner. Parents must instruct their children to linvo u proper respect .for the motor vehiclo as a dearth-dealing and maiming machine i rotlior than, something to bo avoided ■ by inches with careless contempt. Carc•ivsncss is a short cut to tho grave. If each ono of us practices safety, others will naturally fall in line, and much good can bo accomplished. Tho chnnco taker to-day is tho accident maker. The 'driver of a car all too frequency possesses a sense of road ownership, and is inclined to throw the. responsibility for accidents upon pedestrians, but in many cKce one is just as much to blame as the other. We .-are just entering upon the biggest motor vehicle year in the State's history,, and every man, woman, and child, driving or walking, should exercise greater caution." Improvement r,f Roads! The New Zealand Automobile Union i« > nt present in communication with tho ' Gnod Roads Association, with a view of taking fioino steps to secure improvement in the methods of constructing and maintaining highways for tho benefit of oil ; people who may use them." The efforts 1 (if the union are being directed to the i betterment of the roads for tradesmen's j vehicles ns well as for pleasure cars. I The Counties' Conference. I Tho New Zealand Automobile Union ! intends to approach the Counties' Asso- ! c'is.lion which will hold a conference in Wellington about Hie end of September, asking it to receive a deputation from tlw union in order to discuss a number of matters in which both bodies are mutually interested. . .... Voluntary Motor Corps, The following members of the Wellington Voluntary Motor Corps turned out to meet-the Briton on Wednesday liKh-J. P. Luke, A. F. Roberts, W. Prvor. 11. J. Stott, H. W. Lloyd. JPartridne. S. M'Kenzie, C. Odlin, 11. h. Bews. 11. Smith. V. Biddiforil, llis. Smith. P. R, BniHie, B. ]}\ W)ll ,v' M r n Andrews (Jl'Ewan and Co.), H- >'• Thompson. C. 11. Young, J. Cheesman, C. Peel. G. F. Norton, Mrs. Beanchanip, ,T. G. Smith' Miss M'Donnld H,, K. Anderson. C. Qi Holmes. J. J. Williamson, W. Naismith, W. Mantel), Mrs Cornish. D. Dalton, J.' O'Jlearo H. W. Lawrence. A. Campbell, C. H. Crol l<. Holdsworth. Miss G. Kirkcaldie, - Kins, I). Sutherland. .F. A. Vfiughan, A. C. Mitchell. L. Nelson, Wright, Steplienson and Co.. A. W- Barber, A. W.. Blair, W. S. Wilson, E: •Collie, Mrs. Cameron, Miss Cooper, A. W. A.cklund J. Smith, W. Campbell, C. N. Cathie 11. 1). Bennett. J. Gallie. A. .T. Toogood, L. Geoigo, R. Sanders, H. Seaton, Mrs. Nagle. J. T. Martin. A. Seed, I. Hull, A J. Gecrge. Union Steam Ship Co tear Co.. Mr. Cooper, and S. 6. Nathan. Proposed Road to Paokakariki. A pamphlet explaining tho advantages of tho proposed new road from. Wellington, to Paekakariki has been issued by the Wellington Automobile Club. It has long beon suggested,' the club points out, "that the State should take over the control and maintenance of all arterial roads, and this proposal is feet gaining popular favour. One .of the chief of such arterial roads is that which connect* the capital city^ of Wellington with- Auckland and the other towns and districts of the . north and probably its weakest engtli is that which crosses tho Paeknkanki hi >], whero the existing narrow steep and dangerous road is not, and can novor be, a fit road for motor vehicles. Traffic over this road is increasing daily, and accidents, some oi them fatal, have unhappi y been ot frequent occurronco, and will increase the. number as tinio goes on, while the pre-

sent road is tho only one available, and even experienced drivers find this road a strain on their nerves. Steps aro about to bo taken to render tin's road sater, but this at best can only Iμ a . temporary expedient. A. new route is urgently needed, and it is already provided by nature. By leaving the present road at Paremata and bridging tho. Porirna Harbour an excellent roadlino is nvailablo through Pliminerton as far as Pukerua. Thence the road would '. -I >w the 6ea coast for several miles ana j<..a the .existing road at.Paekakariki. This portion of the road would undoubtedly bo expensive, entailing us it would a con>creto wall to.protect it from the sea, but fliero is solid rock foundation all tho way, and in any case, heavy expenditure is justified on a'great permanent national highway. In addition to the other great advantages, the now road would bo four miles shorter than the present road, and its highest point, at Pukerau, would db only 270 feet above- the sea level, whereaa tho present road rises to 810 feet. Good roads mean improved transport and increased prosperity nnd advancement. To tho Mauawatu district, with its poor railway service, improved means of communication with tho city is a vital need. Tho proposed road is, however, a na» tional undertaking, and if the Government of New Zealand adopt memorial roads as a suitable monument to our dead heroes this ehoitld form one of the first to claim attention. The co-opera-tion of all is sought to help in this spleu. did natiouail ■undertaking." Motor-Cars and Electric Trams. Many people imagine that accidents are more frequent with, automobiles Man with other vehicles. According to statistics compiled by the "Engineering liecord," the electric tram outdoes the motor-car in this respect. An electric car lias au accident to every 12,053 miles it travels. Au automobile has au accident to every 178,600 miles. An electric tram runs only 800,000 beforo causing a' fatal accident. An x automobile runs 2,400,000 miles before it causes a fatality. In other words, an automobile travels threo times as far as an electric tram without a fatal accident. A Bad Road. An instance of how the road to Tolaga Bay is affected by even light rain, was shown a day or two ago, says a Gieborne paper. Oue\ motorist accomplished the journey from Tolaga Bay to Gisbome ia two hours and α-quarter, but tvo motorists who came through tbe following \ day had a most trying time, rain having set in. Mr. D. Baweon, of the South British Insurance Company, completed tho journey in about seven hours, Mr. A. Zachariuh left early in the morning, as tho weather, indications ciid not seem too promising. On the Tolaga hill a slight shower of rain was experienced, and ho and his fellow passenger stopped at Mr. Seymour's for a couple of lioure, being wet through. The sun then camo but and made the road sticky, which rendered it impossible to proceed with the car. The services of a couple of horsee were requisitioned to pull the car up the grade by Seymour's, and so heavy was it that tho machine could only be pulled , about 100 yards at a time. The mud stuck to the tyres and almost completely clogged tho wheels. • Later the conditions improved, and the journey was completed under the car's own power, the actual time occupied for the journey being U hours. . " • Here and There.. . When the well-known English motorist S. F. Edge sold his interest in the Napier Company, ono of the conditions was that he should not take any active part in tho motor industry for seveu years. The period will expire next October, when the probabilities are that Mr. Edge will again take a prominent part in the English nioto'r trade. Ho was always recognised as one of the cleverest and most progressive men in the English automobile industry—in fact, .one of its leaders— and should he come back it will be with the object of specialising on a low-price light car. Hβ has already stated that if a first-grade British-built car, to carry four or five peopf.o and sell for ,£3OO, 19 not turned out at .an early date, he will personally produce such a vehicle—and lie is just the man who could. .. In crowded traffic do not apply tlio 'brakes''suddenly-unless it is absolutely necessary. ■ It maybe that'the vehiclo following cannot , stop as quickly as you can. If this is tho case a collision is sure to result. Lighting-up Time—To-day, .4.48 p.m.; next Friday, 4.55 p.m.