MOTOR NOTES

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 38, 27 February 1930, Page 9

MOTOR NOTES

LINES PAINTED ON BROADWAY.!

INCREASE AND SPEED TRAFFIC

The theory that soldiers in wbpnn* of threes and fours wil get somewhere, faster and with much less road qpace than the same number of men permitted, to straggle along in no particular, form,. is being applied to the solution of the constantly increasing traffic problem ia, several American cities. Surveys particularly in Indianapolis, an island city of 425,000 poulation, where there is one, motor car for every four inhabitants, , convinced! police experts that citizens were not getting the full benefit of two main arteries which had been widened at great cost. The arteries were designed to carry two lines of parked cars parallel to the curbing, two lines of slow traffic, one in each direction and twolines of fast traffic, one in each directioa —six lines in all. Because of a tendency of drivers to disregard the rights of others by straddling the imaginary lanes ?' there were many times when one line of moving traffic could go in either direction. In other words one ear was taking the space belonging to two.

So, police painted five white lines, each, five inch.es in 'width, down the arteries, dividing the pavement into six lanes. Placards at strategic points.,informed motorists anew that they could park in v the outside lane, next to the curb, travel slowly in the next lane, and go the limit (3 miles an hour) in the inside lane. This gave three lanes for traffic in each direction. Buses were re- ' quired to stay in "the slow lane, so their stops for passengers did not impede the fast lane. Motor-cycle policemen cruised the arteries for several weeks compelling motorists to stay in the lanes until they were educated without supervision. The immediate result was that hundreds more cars passed a given point caning rush hour with less confus* ion, less scraping of. fenders and clashing of bumpers than before the lanes, were marked.

Detroit, with one ear for each 4.5 inhabitants recently has adopted the idea with improvements. In addition to the lanes, Detroit has painted curving lines with arrows at principal intersections showing drivers exactly how to turn. This.is particular valuable in the handling of tourist traffic, the simple directions lying right" before the eyes of the dcriver from another city prevent him from making a mistake and tying up the orderly moving streams. "'■■'>.

I Another improvement Detroit has in« ■ augurated is a regulation compelling drivers who -wish to switch from fast to slow lines, or vice versa to signal their intention to drivers behind. This is done by giving arm signal for a turn. If the driver, wishes to move from the fast inside lane to the slow middle lane, he signals aright turn. If he goes from slow to fast, he signals a left turn. By this means the drivers avoica the danger of being struck from the rear by a car in /the lane into which they axe switching.' •Of course, the driver, is still held responsible for ascertaining before he starts to hove over that there is no

other car close enough to collide with him in the lane to which he is switching.

THE THIRD PASSENGER

In the case of the small light car, especially the four or'five-seat^r /there is a matter in. connection, with loading . which is worth attention and is too of-ten.-oyerloked. When, there are three ' passengers in a car the Disposition of the third, supposing the first two are . side by side, is important. j!Phe driver, naturally, occupies the right side of the front seat. The other passengers should be so disposed that the greater weight is on the off side of the car. Thus a third passenger, if 5n the back, should

sit on the right side. Similarly, with four passengers, endeavour always to get the heaviest on the off side. The camber of is emphasised and increased if the heavy passenger is seated on the near aide. The the road already draws the car down unduly on the rear springs. Thia propensity car is'difficult to steer out of the left side of the-road and on corners one may feud difficulty in getting* round without much reduction in speed. Sometimes the heavier load on the.near side makes fox actual danger. It increases, the chance of skidding when the: surface is greasy and it prevents recovery. Equal' loading ia the thing to obtain if possible and to ensure equal loading on cambered roads, it is desirable to have the greater weight on the off side of the vehicle, since ao much of the driving is on the unlevel left side of the road. .

■.■.. - ' ' : ! SPEEDOMETER ACCJUBACY ' x The accuracy of automobile speedometers is, to-day, practically, taken for granted. If actual scientific tests were made it is possible that this accuracy, wouldi probably be found to be approxi- _ mate only, but in most easeg so near to accuracy as to be of practical value for all ordinary purposes. But speedometera may become inaccurate and generally they err after long use, on; the side of increasing the speed reading. Again tyre wear will affect the reading. Given a, tyre with, at first, a good thick tread, which has worn down considerably, <£he reading will be on the fast side, "~£f • the tread, wears half an inch in diameter the car will travel approximately one and a half inches less for each rotation of the wheel. This will increase the speedometer reading by a -small amount If the owner is in doubt about the accuracy of hii speedometer he can easily check it between mile posts..'lf. it ia much out, he should have it overhauled and reset. Wear' of tyres will affect the mileage register to the same -degree as the speed reading.