HUMAN ELEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1932, Page 8

HUMAN ELEMENT

CHIEF CAUSE OF CRASHES

cars' built for safety

The following article is issued by the .National Autoniob'tte Chamber of. Commerce, U.SIA.:— "That carelessness is now responsible for practically all accidents involving motor vehicles, 'and that physical and mechanical causes account foV a steadily decreasing percentage of accidents, as ear manufacturers keep working greater safety 'in their product, .was the finding- of traffic safety'experts it the American Safety ; Congress; recently held in. Chicago. *'■" y -.■"'■ ' "The American Society of. Automotive Engineers, in an interesting statement, pointed out specifically how manufacturers .have., progressed, in ..in' creasing the engineering arid mechanic cal safety factors Tin their cars. The following are excerpt's:— "Substantial improvement has been made in steering in the past few years. Any driver who remembers how he onco had to fight his wheel-to giye Tcasonably accurate guidance to the vehicle will realise how greatly this factor of •afety ha 3 been increased.

__ "_Then.there_is.the_question of spring■~mg<';aHa.':of pfop"erly"aes]gnea shock at)' :

I sorbers.' 'The advance's in this particular field in the past few years' have : been marked, and have-; made the i vehiclefar safer and more, controllable. ; .TANKS AT THE REAR: i |.'.'.f'Again1, not many years, ago the ' driver of a car sat upon his gasoline ■ tank. In case of .accident this posi- ! tion'was embarrassing, to say the least. ; ,If one looks back on",the number of I hires' . aftey accidents in . former years, ■ he will certainly -list, the present location of fuel: tauks as an added factor lof 'safety. ••, . ,'';;.. \ ■'."'."'.': !.' "How greatly' fout-wheel brakes have : contributed to- safety, one need scarcely--remind* even the; generation that is driving'now. A rather interesting lessonmight be suggested, to show just what, four-wheel .brakes mean to any driver -who has not'known the twowheel types of yesterday. He should5 get, if he can,' a car with-brakes only on the rear "wheels and .just ,try. ; a few stbpsi But it should be done.cautiously, for lie will bO surprised'at iho distance required to bring a car to a halt, with -the old-fashioned braking equipment. "Undoubtedly balloon", tires have also brought their contribution to safety. The broader, space in contact' with the road has made control of the vehicle more definite. "The greater adhesion between tire and roa<jL does its part in bringing a car to a stable bait. ' "Better illumination for night driving has been gained as a-result of endless experiment and work in the laboratory,' although this angle,of the; safety problem] has not:been entirely iolvediBOPEG3 LOWER SLXTNO. v "The engineers have, in recent years, given, us a real- contribution to safety in the lower hung designs that they ,Jiave turned out. -This iactor increases: the .readability' of the vehicle and gives a, more pertain control. \;' \ ; • ' g c "But(still the- human.' factor remains. The manufacturers' hay« spent and-are. spending'millions of 'dollars to improve their jvehicles'yttt make them,more,safey ' but in many'cases the man'" at the-Wheel takes those very, factors pf safety and makes?"them excuses" ■ for: .the careless acts that "cariso' accidehts; -;' The temperamentally careless driver, for „ in- ' stance/., knowing-!, that-.-his •" four-wheel ■ brakes" will, stop''the; car in-a shorter £han the old't'wo-^'heel'fiffairs, usek^that as. ai^excuse for ..always, at a greater; speedy \\ ._~" t ,"? ■ ■ " The chief/problem is the "education of the careless 1,0-per. center of cat - drivers to use the safety-factors that the manufacturersiare'rpjuttirig into-1; their "vehieles-as the means forjay.oiding, ■-accidents,-the.purpose fir which they haVe - iln. the .meantime,. the manufacturers ieep^ plugging #way for greater safety." ; ■' •:■ ■'