HAND BRAKES.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 289, 23 May 1929, Page 7

HAND BRAKES.

NOT A MERE ORNAMENT. Make Them Work. In these days when even the cheapest _ cars are fitted with fourwheel brakes as standard equipment, many motorists are inclined to rely entirely on the foot-brake. When driving in traffic, where smart acceleration and efficient braking are essential, there is no time to reach for the hand-brake each time the car in front abruptly stops, and in consequence the foot-brake is very roughly used by far too many motorists. Too many drivers follow just on the tail of the car in front, and are compelled to push the footbrake to the foot-hoards to avert a collision, each time the other car stops. If motorists were to allow a little more space between cars, they would have time to use the handbrake in conjunction with the footbrake, instead of disregarding the one and overtaxing the other. The average driver finds difficulty in starting off on a steep hill. He usually jams down clutch and footbrake, engages low, races the engine with the hand control, and lets both pedals come down with a rush. This bad habit is created by the presence of the hand-throttle. In the absence of this auxiliary control, the driver is compelled to operate the accelerator with the brake foot and to brake with the hand lever. The necessity produces a skill in up-hill starting which cannot be attained by foot-braking.

lYhen coasting down long grades the average motorist releases the accelerator, slips into neutral and checks the whole weight and momentum of the car with the much over-loaded foot-brake, instead of pulling the hand-brake back a couple of notches to compensate somewhat for the excessive use the former gets in traffic. Even in steep slopes very few motorists use the handbrake, although they may change down into second, and use the en-

gine in conjunction with the footbrake. The disregard for such a useful brake is probably explained by the fact that many motorists look upon the hand-brake merely as an apparatus for holding the car stationary. The average owner-driver on coming into his garage, applies the hand-brake tight and leaves it on. ’ Thus the coil springs controlled by the lever are stretched to their full- ' est extent for perhaps twelve or fourteen hours, an occurrence which irust obviously affect even the best ' springs in time. Yet when a mo- I tonst leaves!a car weighing perhaps a couple of tons on a' steep incline, 1 he would be astonished if he returned to find that it had run down the hill and would believe that it had been tampered with. He either dis- 1 rcuaids or is ignorant of the misuse of the hand-brake which has eventually told in the sudden breaking oF an over-taxed rod or spring